“High-Speed
101”
Service availability and price are two primary factors that are
constantly and rapidly changing in the high-speed Internet market.
For example, the price of T-1 lines and DSL service, the most
popular high-speed business and residential connections, have
dropped considerably in recent years, and these lines are now
available throughout the region at prices that match the targets
set by several consumer initiatives. There has also been a proliferation
of newer technologies such as fixed wireless and innovative versions
of DSL and ISDN. Even the smallest company in the most rural locale
can now access the Internet at high-speed through very affordable
two-way satellite service.
In fact, the market is changing so fast, that no one vendor or
computer consultant can keep track of all the latest developments.
Therefore, it is highly recommended that you speak to several
vendors before deciding on a particular technology.
Below is a list of some of the most cost-effective options for
connecting businesses to the Internet. There is also a glossary
of telecommunications terms offered at the end of this page for
further support.
Wireless
Broadband
• Wireless service (sometimes referred to as Fixed Wireless)
is a means of connecting to the Internet in many Gorge Region
communities. Service is provided by Wireless ISP Providers (or
WISPs). Depending on the contract, speeds can exceed 1Mbps. A
wireless connection requires a small, flat antenna (approximately
18" square) with a line-of-site view of the service provider’s
antenna. According to the vendors, this technology is no less
secure than other Internet connections. The price varies widely
between companies, but is usually below $50/month.
• Satellite service has increased in popularity since two-way
service became available. (Formerly, only downloads were via satellite,
while uploads were via phone line.) This type of connection is
not appropriate for all uses. For example, the latency associated
with uploads and downloads has been known to create problems for
gamers and for professionals who routinely access Virtual Private
Networks (VPNs). In addition, poor weather can create problems
which is why most satellite contracts include, at no extra charge,
the ability to switch to dial-up service when necessary. In spite
of these potential drawbacks, satellite technology is appropriate
for some businesses.
•
WiFi is a brand used by the (formerly Wireless Ethernet Compatibility
Alliance or WECA) short for wireless fidelity and is meant to
be used generically when referring of any type of . 802.11 is
a standard that has been developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical
and Electronic Engineers), . The IEEE is an international organization
that develops standards for hundreds of electronic and electrical
technologies. The organization uses a series of numbers, like
the Dewey Decimal system in libraries, to differentiate between
the various technology families.
802.11 is further divided: 802.11b, (which some consider the true
definition of Wi-Fi), is a standard for wireless LANs (WLANs)
operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum with a bandwidth of 11 Mbps.
802.11a is a different standard for wireless LANs operating in
the 5 GHz frequency range with a maximum data rate of 54 Mbps.
Another draft standard, 802.11g, is for operating in the 2.4 GHz
frequency but with a maximum data rate of 54 Mbps. Other task
groups are working on enhanced security (802.11i), spectrum and
power control management (802.11h), quality of service (802.11e),
etc.
Landline Voice
• Basic and commercial telephone service is generally available
throughout the Gorge region.
Wireless Voice
• Cellular service is available through most of the more
populous areas of the Gorge (particularly along I-84 in Oregon
and State Route 14 in Washington), however, due to the nature
of the technology each carriers’ coverage will have spotty
areas, and much of the rural area is not currently served.
Dial-up Internet Service Providers
• Dial-up ISPs provide basic internet and email access with
a dial-up, low speed connection, usually less than 56kbps.
DSL &Broadband Service
• DSL is popular in the areas where it is available because
it can be very inexpensive—usually less than $50/month.
Many ISPs and other competitors to the phone company offer DSL
packages specifically designed for businesses, municipal offices
and schools at prices under $200. Speeds vary depending on the
contract, but can be as fast a T-1 line. The primary limiting
factor is that DSL is distance sensitive. Three to four miles
from a telephone company central office was, and in many places
still is, the limit. However, the technology is changing rapidly
and businesses should consult with their local providers.
• T-1 service at 1.54Mbps is available throughout Gorge
Region at prices generally competitive with large metropolitan
areas, depending on the length of contract and location of the
site. Most vendors will also sell T-1 service in fractional increments
for lower prices. Neither the monthly price, nor the connection
speed is distance sensitive, however installation times can be
several weeks and installation costs may be prohibitive for remote
locations.
• ISDN service is available throughout Gorge Region, from
multiple providers. Contact service providers for availability
and cost of service.
ISDN service generally runs at 128Kbps in both directions, which
does not meet the FCC definition of “high speed communications”
and barely meets most people’s definition of broadband.
However, 128Kbps still represents an increase of three to four
times the speed of the average dial-up modem. (Most dial-up modems
operate at speeds significantly slower than the advertised 56Kbps.)
(Even though ISDN has the capability of replacing voice lines,
it does not function during power outages. Therefore it may be
advisable to keep at least one regular phone line.)
• Cable Modem service is a means of connecting to the Internet
through the same coaxial cable that delivers cable television.
This service is available only when it is offered by the local
cable provider, and starts at less than $50/month. Speeds can
exceed 1Mbps, but as more users log on within the same neighborhood,
the speed drops. With new business-level service, it is possible
to have T-1 speeds at approximately one third the cost.
Fiber Access
• Fiber Access is available from several regional telecommunications
service providers and some public entities and power Co-operatives.
Some businesses require higher broadband speeds and higher levels
of guaranteed Quality of Service than can be provided by any of
the services described above. Those businesses may require direct
access to fiber optic networks.
One such public entity is called Q-Life, which stands for "Quality
of Life" - a collaborative effort of two public entities
in The Dalles, Oregon, working to create a 17-mile fiber optic
loop through the city. Q-Life has made a map of their fiber optic
network available via the web at:
Glossary
Terms are listed alphabetically
ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode): A network technology based on
transferring data in cells or packets of a fixed size. The small,
constant cell size allows ATM equipment to transmit video, audio,
and computer data over the same network, and assure that no single
type of data hogs the line. ATM creates a fixed channel, or route,
between two points whenever data transfer begins. This differs
from TCP/IP, in which messages are divided into packets and each
packet can take a different route from source to destination.
This difference makes it easier to track and bill data usage across
an ATM network, but it makes it less adaptable to sudden surges
in network traffic.
Bandwidth: The amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed
amount of time. It determines how much data can be sent through
a channel and is often expressed in Kilobits per second (Kbps).
Broadband: Meaning "broad bandwidth" is the amount of
data, text, voice, video, and related applications that can be
carried over a transmission medium such as cable, copper telephone
wires, or wireless networks. A type of data transmission in which
a single medium (wire) can carry several channels at once. Cable
TV, for example, uses broadband transmission. In contrast, baseband
transmission allows only one signal at a time. In common usage
the meaning of broadband is often expanded to include all types
of high-speed connectivity, including baseband transmission.
Cable Modem Service: Using the same coaxial lines that bring television
services to consumers, the cable industry has transformed those
lines into 2-way forms of communication. This means you can send
data, Internet, voice, and television services on 1 coaxial wire.
CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier): Pronounced see-leck.
A Competitive Local Exchange Carrier is a telephone company that
competes with an Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) such
as a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC), Verizon, Bellsouth,
etc.
CO (Central
Office): Local switching station, owned and operated by the primary,
local telephone company, that houses all telecommunications equipment
for a given area. (To get DSL service, you generally must be within
3 miles of a CO.)
Dialup access: Refers to connecting to the Internet via a modem
and standard telephone line.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): Technology that utilizes copper
telephone wires to transmit data at high speeds. DSL technologies
are sometimes referred to as last-mile technologies because they
are used only for connections from a telephone switching station
to a home or office, not between switching stations. "xDSL"
refers collectively to all types of digital subscriber lines,
the two main categories being ADSL (Asynchronous) in which the
customer's download speed usually exceeds the upload speed, and
SDSL (synchronous) in which the download and upload speeds are
equal. DSL requires a short run to the central telephone office
(approximately 18,000 feet), though new technologies claim to
extend this distance to approximately 30,000 feet.
DSLAM
(Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers): Equipment in a
CO (telephone company central office) that consolidate data traffic
from individual
DSL connections and transmit to large networks. (Mini DSLAMs are
similar devices for non-central office placement.)
E-commerce (Electronic commerce): Commercial and non-commercial
transactions facilitated through the use of networked technologies.
Fractional T-1: See T-1 below
Frame Relay: A packet-switching protocol for connecting devices
on a Wide Area Network (WAN). You can think of Frame Relay as
a way of utilizing existing T-1 and T-3 lines owned by a service
provider. Most telephone companies now provide Frame Relay service
for customers who want connections at 56 Kbps to T-1 speeds.
ILEC (Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier): The local telephone company
that many times owns the regional telephone lines and has the
largest base of customers. Example: Verizon, Bellsouth, etc. However,
some ILECs are smaller telephone companies that may serve as little
an area as one town.
Infrastructure: The communication networks that connect users
to the Internet.
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network): A communications standard
for sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone lines
or normal telephone wires. Most ISDN lines offered by telephone
companies give you two lines at once, called B channels. You can
use one line for voice and the other for data, or you can use
both lines for data to give you data rates of 128 Kbps, three
times the data rate provided by today's fastest modems. You may
also purchase additional line pairs for faster speeds, i.e. 256Kbps,
etc. ISDN lines are available throughout New Hampshire.
ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company or organization that
provides users with connectivity to the Internet.
Kbps (kilobits per second): The rate of speed at which data is
transferred (e.g. 1Kbps equals 1,000 bits per second).
LAN (Local Area Network): A network of interconnected workstations
that share the resources of a single processor or server within
a relatively small geographic area, such as an office.
Mbps (Megabits per second): A measurement of the rate of speed
at which data is transferred (e.g., 1Mbps equals 1 million bits
per second).
Modem (modulator-demodulator): A modem is a device or program
that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone lines.
Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information
transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of
analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms.
T1: A dedicated phone line, supporting data rates of 1.544Mbps.
T1s can be separated into 24 channels with each carrying a maximum
of 64Kbps of data, voice, or network application traffic. Most
companies allow you to buy just some of these individual channels,
known as fractional T-1 access. T1 lines are available throughout
New Hampshire. T-1 lines are sometimes referred to as DS1 lines.
T3: A dedicated phone line, supporting data rates of about 43
Mbps. A T-3 line actually consists of 672 individual channels,
each of which supports 64 Kbps. T-3 lines are used mainly by Internet
Service Providers (ISPs) connecting to the Internet backbone and
for the backbone itself. T-3 lines are sometimes referred to as
DS3 lines.
Virtual Private Network (VPN): A private data network using the
public telecommunications infrastructure with security procedures
that maintain privacy.
WAN (Wide Area Network): A geographically dispersed telecommunications
network.
Wireless: A communications system in which radio frequency or
infrared waves carry a signal through the air, rather than along
a wire. Many of these systems require a direct line of sight.
World Wide Web: The system of Internet servers and users that
support documents formatted in the HTML language.
Sources: coloradodsl,
pcwebopaedia, CNET.com, LinkMichigan, Technology NH
