My Town Built Their Own ISP
Feb 12 '00 (Updated Apr 30 '01)
The Bottom Line Check on the different packages offered as well as technical support that is offered before you make a decision who to sign up with.
Most people do not think of Iowa as being on the cutting edge of technology so you may be surprised to read about the dream that my community brought to fruition back in 1995. This was when our sleepy little town of 5,500 voted to establish a telecommunications utility as a part of our already established public utility company. Before this time, we were getting cable TV service from TCI and as a community, we were tired of poor service, high rates, and we were looking into the future at what a fiber network could mean to our city. Not only would this mean that we would have our own fiber optics cable TV system, but we would also have a Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) Network, which could provide high-speed Internet access to every home and business in town. This dream became a reality in 1995 when our 750 MHz system was completed and our first cable TV customer was connected.
Before the utilities was able to offer cable modem Internet service, our only option was a dial up service offered by a local phone company. I signed up as a customer in January of 1994 with my 486 computer and a 28.8 dial modem. This was my first Internet experience and although I was creeping along the “information super highway”, I was happy because I didn’t know any better.
One of the “perks” of working for the ISP was that I was able to be one of the first customers to try out the cable modem service at my home in 1997. I was already enjoying a T1 connection at the office, but to actually have this type of technology in my home was a dream come true for me. As a self-described “net junkie”, I was truly in heaven.
How We Do It
The way the cable modem service works is really quite simple. Each ISP may have their own protocol in how the service is set up for their customers, so the experience that I’ll be describing is how my office does it.
When someone calls into our office to inquire about cable modem service, they usually have a very limited knowledge of the Internet and the difference between our service and a dial up service. We have to explain to them that our Internet service utilizes the cable television lines already in their home so an additional phone line is not necessary. They always ask the price ($34.95 for 1.54 MB or $44.95 for 10 MB). This monthly fee includes the external modem that our technician will bring to the installation when he comes to install the line to the computer.
Unlike some companies, our service techs do not install the necessary Ethernet (or NIC) card, so this must be done before or after our tech is there with the modem. This is a customer service point that we weighed with great consideration, as it would require an additional expense for most customers. For those who did not have the knowledge of how to configure the NIC card, they would have to hire a local “computer guru” to do this task for them. We finally decided that the liability of configuring a customers computer was a risk that we were not prepared to take, so we recommend a local company who will come to a customer’s home, install the card and configure a computer for a very minimal fee. For those who are computer savvy, they are able to do the configurations on their own. Windows98 has made this process even easier and we believe that very soon everyone will be able to do their own configurations.
Networking
For people like myself who have multiple computers (we have 4 at our house), we suggest networking through a hub, thus only using one modem. When we set up an account on our server, we use a one-computer default. Customers who want to network computers must let us know so this default can be changed.
If you are planning to running a network off of your cable modem, I would contact your ISP to see if they allow Microsoft Networking. Until recently, we did allow this feature, but because of high traffic, we have decided to discontinue this part of our service. Check ahead with your ISP before you decide how to configure your network.
The Advantages
If you are wondering how the speed of a cable modem compares to a dial up modem, I have to tell you that there is NO comparison. Consider a 10-megabyte file that is downloaded off of the net. On a 28.8 modem it would take approximately 23 minutes. On a cable modem connection of 3mbsp, it would take only 26 seconds. (On an IDSN of 128 kbps it would take 10 minutes). When we have customers come into the office to have a look at the service, we take them to sites that are heavy with graphics, such as NASCAR, so they can see the speed in which the pages load. If they are familiar with a dial up service, we can always expect to hear WOW, right after they catch their breath…
Another thing to remember about a cable modem service is that you do not need a phone line. If you already have a second line that you have dedicated for your computer, you can discontinue that service. If you are only using one line, you can now free up that phone, allowing you to be on the phone and computer at the same time. When I was able to disconnect from my dial up ISP and cancel my second phone line, I was actually saving money since the charges for those two services was more than what I am paying for my faster cable modem service.
We do not sell our cable modems, but some ISP’s will allow you to purchase your modem outright or will prorate it over several months and add it to your monthly bill. Modems are expensive (ours run $550.00), and you may want to consider whether renting or purchasing is in your best interest.
If busy signals get you down, you won’t have that problem with a cable modem. You have a constant connection so there is no dialing in and no busy signals. When your computer is on, you’re connected to the Internet. Also gone are your days of being ‘kicked off”…again, your connection in constant. It can’t get any easier than that!
In the three years that we have been in business, we have had very few outage problems. Once we had a router down and were without service for 12 hours while a new piece was flown in from Texas. Occasionally a server will “burp”, but other than that we have had very few problems. All of our office staff has been trained in customer support, and we are able to answer most of the questions phoned in by our customers. If we can’t answer a question, we find a tech who can.
If your area offers cable modem service, it is something that you really may want to consider. Believe me when I say that once you go cable modem, you’ll never go back to dial up.
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