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When Dial Up Internet Access Makes Sense

Situations Where A Dial Up Connection Is Still Good Choice

The world quietly changed in May of 2006, and no one was watching. This was the month in which for the first time more people were getting their news from the Internet than any other source. Television had dominated the information world up to this point, and it doesn't look like its ever going to recover. This massive shift is due in a big part to the inexpensive and prolific connectivity provided by dial up Internet access.

Although slow by way of comparison to broadband access, dial up is more affordable and just as reliable. With little to no additional equipment required, dial up Internet access is easy to install and simple to use. Even this late into 2006, dial up is still the most common method used to connect to the Internet, and with its availability and price it will probably remain that way for some time.

 

Broadboad Versus Dial Up Internet

Dial up speeds are said to reach 56 Kbps, however this is most often not the case. Although modems are now designed to send data at that rate, there are many other factors that can get in the way such as bad phone lines, poorly configured software, and Internet traffic. Despite these issues, it is fairly easy to get 32kbps on a regular basis, but any faster is questionable.

At these speeds, dial up Internet users can surf the web with little difficulty, but downloads can be frustrating. Streaming video is out of the question, and downloading large files can take hours, even days. If moving around large files is what you are after, dial up isn't what you are looking for. Even accelerated dial up from Netzero will only speed up your email and web browsing activities, but can't speed up large file downloads.

More and more the Internet is being developed with broadband in mind and it doesn't appear this trend is likely to ever end. There will come a time when dial up will no longer offer an expectable web experience. The question is, when will the experience get bad enough to justify paying for a broadband connection.

Although broadband connections are becoming common, there are many factors that will prevent total market penetration. Price is a large factor as dial up Internet access is much less expensive than any broadband solution, but the “need” for broadband is not a pressing as many would think. Some dial up services are even free, however with advertising funding the connectivity pop up ads and slow surfing tend to frustrate users.

 

Dial Up: Still The Choice For Casual Users

A recent study showed that 34% of the United States not only didn't own a computer, but never intended to purchase one. This only leaves 67% of the country for the broadband market, and 18% of them don't have an Internet connection at home. Of the remaining market, many don't use the Internet enough to justify a broadband connection, so the ever present need for speed isn't there for all consumers.

Broadband connections are penetrating the market more everyday, and their pricing is dropping to very competitive levels. In time broadband will replace dial up Internet access as the most used type of connectivity, but that is still a few years off. With dial up being used as a back up connection even by large businesses, this basic Internet service will be available for a long time to come.

 
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To compare accelerated dialup Internet service with broadband cable and residential DSL, return to our High Speed Internet home page.