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    • FTTH FTW! Provider tried to get me to switch to 300Mbps down recently, but I declined since they would cut my upload speed to 50Mbps and I'm having none of that. People disregard how upload speed is important to the general responsiveness of the link. With highly asymmetrical links like xDSL ones usually are, you can get a single device uploading stuff (sharing, backup, sync, whatever) to ruin access for everyone.

    • That's really crazy, is it that way in a lot of the area? What do the smaller tech related businesses that still need fast connections do?

      In Boston itself it's not hard to get 100-1000 down and 35-50 up (Comcast/RCN). And those speeds are available most places in eastern MA, then towns with FIOS get between 100-1000 both ways.

    • I think most of us here in the U.S. have a limited number of providers...and that's the crux of the problem; minimal competition.

      (would be a good topic for a parallel discussion, if it's not been brought up already)

    • Yea, speed is one thing...and, then how much do you have to bend over to get it?

      We have Cox as the primary provider with Century Link as the secondary. Here in Vegas Century Link has terrible infrastructure so they sell on price and EVERYONE I know that gets signed up based on price, hates life forever afterwards.

      Cox is a big corporate machine but for the most part their internet is good, consistent and reliable. I pay $75/mo for this which is adequate to watch Hulu downstairs on the tv.

    • I'm not sure what small businesses do, but I remember going with a fiber optic business like at SmugMug that they had to trench for. I should do a speed test over there. I sometimes wonder if the residential lines are so lame because they want businesses to not be able to get by with them so they'll pay business rates.

    • I thought I would be slower than most out here in the fly over countryside Terre Haute Indiana - my ping is slow,. but not so bad really

    • Yeah, it's still about speeds...and in about a week, mine will improve - and be less expensive in the process.

      I have been leasing my router/modem on this DSL line I have here at home. Now, a perusal of my bill shows that I'm paying the cost of a good craft six-pack of beer -per month- for the opportunity to use this device to attach myself to the web.

      Nope...I can do better.

      A couple of hours of research, and I figure out that there's a couple of much, much better router/modem models available - and they could be had for less than $100 used.

      Now, my wife is interested - she looks at FB Marketplace - hey, brand-new device available for 'X'.

      "Offer 20% less than X - today, right now!"


      A couple hours later, it's functional.

      At least here, it pays to actually spend the time to interact with humanity on the other end of the line. If they are good, they will retain you as a customer -and- shave a few bucks off your bill. I thought a 20% reduction in cost - and a claimed 8x increase in speed works in my favor.

      I go to battle with the TV side of this equation next week, after this is done.

    • Telstra switched on small sections of the new 5G network this week in Australia and will be rolling it out in major cities over the next 12 months.

      Currently the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is the only 5G compatible phone available.

      Early reports are of download speeds of 500-800mps and upload of around 60mps

      With a few reports of over 1gb down

    • I think mature 5G is supposed to reach 1 - 1.5 GB down ultimately. Looking forward to it!

      I am wondering what it will do to cable TV vendors, many of whom are quite used to having an absolute monopoly on broadband service.

    • They should be good for awhile at least here in the Northeast where there aren't data caps. Because if you have multiple 4k streaming devices as most families will in the coming years you'll hit a cap in no time.

      Hopefully this will get the cable ISP's to drop their caps in the rest of the country to compete.

    • The problem with wireless is that you share the physical channel (EM spectrum) with everyone on the same base station (just as you share bandwidth on your WiFi access point with everyone in your household). So when you're out during a rush hour, you won't be getting anywhere near that top speed, because everyone around will be using up that same physical channel.

      Which is why I strongly discourage getting that 'home wireless internet' thingies (basically, a mobile phone in a box). If you have a fixed residence, geta physical connection if you can. Fiber if possible.

    • Agreed -- congestion both on LTE/5Ge and WiFi in my neighborhood has gotten pretty bad that I can't achieve anywhere the speeds I'm paying for, so I've hardwired everything that can be with Cat6A to my fiber connection.

    • I do get that fibre to the home is the ideal situation, I would sign up in a heart beat - but in most ( most referring to geographic area, not population density ) of North America that is not likely to be available at anytime in the near future, or one's probable lifetime 😕.

      One downside to a physical connection is that you can't take it with you when you go to Florida to your own condo, so you might need to pay for multiple connections for broadband.

      I have friends who use a cellular wireless connection so that whether they are at home, or travelling, or in a hotel on the road, they always use their own cellular wireless broadband connections. Seems to work for them, and they get only one bill.

      From a security standpoint I tend to think my cellular connection is more secure than the unsecured open WiFI network in a hotel too. I may not be correct about this, but I think I am, anyway 😬

      My physical connection is a copper cable, not fibre - but the best available in my neighborhood. And the only physical broadband available, since my cable vendor has a municipal sanctioned monopoly. I am looking forward to when they have to seriously compete with real high speed wireless broadband that is faster than what the cable vendor even offers.


      The only way this improves (security) is with the use of VPN.

    • D'ya really trust who the operator of that WiFi system is? If so - or what you're doing is benign, no VPN.

      Now, what is 'benign' to you may well not be to me and vice-versa.