Most areas of the U.S. have a few high-speed internet options and several dial-up options available. To find the services available in your area consult our coverage maps. Once you narrow the list down to the internet service providers (ISPs) in your general area you can find what specific services are available in your exact location by submitting your address or phone number into their search tool.
Once you have determined what services are available to you, you need to decide what type of internet connection will satisfy your needs. If you have a landline telephone and only need the internet for checking email and other simple tasks, a dial-up service will work for you. If you have a landline telephone and use the internet primarily for checking email, reading articles or light research, a DSL service should satisfy your needs. However, if you are a moderate to heavy internet user and use it for gaming, watching movies or streaming music, you will want to look for a good cable or fiber optic service.
A note on speed:
Reported speed is the maximum speed expected in optimal conditions, but speed varies by area due to differences in physical infrastructure and environmental conditions. Speed related for dial-up, DSL and cable above are generally accepted speed numbers; however, there is some dispute about actual potential speed per technology.
Additional Features
This criterion is not as crucial as it was five or 10 years ago. Most people are now comfortable with free webmail options such as Gmail or Yahoo and do not need additional email accounts offered by their service provider. It is helpful if the provider can supply security software that is always up-to-date as well as parental controls. It is also useful if dial-up services support call waiting so you can see who is calling your phone while you are online and screen calls without interrupting your connection.
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