Thought About Broadband?

Have you ever wondered about whether or not it might be time to speed up your Internet connection? You wouldn't be alone. Amazing things have been accomplished online and dialup modems have served subscribers well over the last ten years. However, broadband is the way of the future. We don't think dialup will disappear for a long while yet, but world trends, even amongst domestic users are definitely moving towards higher speed connections.

The fastest growing high speed connection world-wide is DSL, marketed here in New Zealand as JetStream. This short article will look briefly at its pros and cons, and will also cover some of its basic costs. We'd be happy to talk to you if you'd like to know more.

Put really simply, DSL (digital subscriber line) splits the copper of your phoneline in two (metaphorically). By utilising different frequencies for transmitting data, it allows the same piece of copper to act as a phoneline while it also acts as a high speed Internet connection. The benefits of such a system are pretty obvious when you think about it. Firstly, you already have the copper coming right into your house. There's no need for a complicated installation procedure. Secondly, your Internet connection no longer ties up your phone line. You can be surfing away or sending e-mails, and the phone will still ring as normal.

There are other advantages of JetStream or DSL. Firstly, it is always on. This means that when your computer is on, one click will take you onto the Internet. You don't have to worry about waiting to dial in, or dialling in again if you become disconnected. The second advantage, of course, is the speed. Dialup modems are great, but the net is growing often beyond what can be handled comfortably with a 56K modem. Web sites are becoming more animated. online gaming is becoming more popular, peer to peer file-sharing can tie your phoneline up for hours, Windows updates are now usually too massive to download meaning people are often slow to update their machines with the latest security patches. A broadband connection, such as DSL, can help with all of these things.

The disadvantages of DSL are mainly to do with its cost, of course, but the good news is that prices are coming down. More on that below.

First of all, a DSL connection does require a special modem that sits between your computer and your phone jack. The second initial expense is the Telecom installation. A DSL modem can be yours for around $200, but then you own it. The Telecom installation is a one-time fee of $88.00 + GST (a little more if you need extra wiring done, but most people don't). Oftentimes, Telecom will waive these fees, especially when specials are on. The last disadvantage is that there is often a traffic allowance meaning you will be charged per megabyte if you download more than your allocated quota in a given month. For most people this isn't a problem either. It's just a matter of selecting the right plan from the outset.

There are lots of variations of JetStream plans. See the Actrix home page (Domestic/High Speed Plans) for an idea. Note however that JetStream Starter (which used to be known as JetStart) is being withdrawn by Telecom later this year. Pricing for the JetStream Surf plans with Actrix is given below. This is the typical sort of plan a customer wanting to move up from a dialup connection might consider.

	Actrix Charge	Telecom Charge	Total Charge	Traffic Allowance	Excess Usage Charge
Surf 1GB	$20.00	$29.95/month	$49.95	1GB	5 cents/MB
Surf 3GB	$20.00	$39.95/month	$59.95	3GB	5 cents/MB
Surf Flatrate	$20.00	$59.95/month	$79.95	Unlimited	N/A

If you consider that JetStream Surf is a 256Kb connection (about five times the speed of dialup) then these prices are not so bad after the installation expenses. Those starting to hanker for more speed might be surprised by this. Of course most people who get around to broadband wonder how they ever coped on dialup.

In terms of traffic, 1 GB (a Gigabyte is 1024 Megabytes and one average mp3 is about 3.5 Megabytes) is a lot of data, and the average domestic user would find this ample. As stated, there are lots of other plans, and we'd be happy to help you find the one that is just right for you.

To make things easier, our marketing department is currently working on some specials to help you make the leap. These may well include installation deals, great pricing, and/or pre-configured modems so all you have to do is plug them in and you're away. Watch this space (as well as our web site) for more details in the very near future.