Cable Modems

Over the last couple of years there has been lots of talk about cable modems -- modems that would hook to your TV cable, and let you get very high speed internet access. Availability is still limited in many areas, but is growing rapidly. Serious bandwidth problems would be experienced by most cable companies if they brought cable modems into wide use too rapidly which is one of the reasons implementation has not been fast. Some of the big cable companies are starting to use digital technologies that would partially address that problem. Some users of cable modems have complained that their access speeds have dropped by a factor of 4 or more as more customers sign up for the service. But the access is still fast compared to dial-up modem access.

With a cable modem the extent of your access to the internet is decided by your cable company, as of course are your service fees. You should contact your cable company to see if they have internet service available via cable, and what their prices are for their cable modem and their service. I have talked to dozens of people who now have cable modems, and as a group they seem VERY pleased with the service and of course the speed. Some have reported quite reasonable prices (less than $30 per month on top of their regular cable bill for access and ISP service), while others report higher prices ($60 per month plus installation). The average seems to be about $40 per month in additional to regular cable service. Large companies such as AT&T usually run some very attractive specials to lure in new customers once they have implemented the service in an area.