Users of the Chattanooga high speed Internet provider EPB will soon have access to some of the fastest high speed Internet available.  Known locally as “Fi-Speed Internet”, EPB currently offers Chattanooga’s only 100% fiber optic Internet with speeds up to 150 mbps.  However, even faster speeds are on the horizon.

According to Steve Lohr of the New York Times, “The city-owned utility, EPB, plans to announce on Monday that by the end of this year it will offer ultra-high-speed Internet service of up to one gigabit a second. That is 200 times faster than the average broadband speed in America.”

Even though Verizon successfully tested a 1 gbps transmission back in June, EPB’s super high speed Internet is slated to be the first commercially available  in the United States.

In an attempt to keep you, the consumer, informed of service provider capabilities, Allconnect will be publishing periodic service provider “reviews”.  It’s not an attempt to sway your buying power toward one provider over another.  It’s simply our way of letting you know what’s available in your area.

Going alphabetically, we’ll start by looking at AT&T U-verse® and AT&T bundles.

The latest in a long line of innovation, AT&T U-verse® is AT&T’s latest bundle and its direct answer to the cable bundle.  Marketed as the “evolution of TV”, AT&T U-verse® operates like a traditional phone, TV, Internet bundle by offering a combined solution with advanced digital TV, high speed Internet, and digital phone service.   However, AT&T U-verse® relies on its sophisticated home network to deliver the different services throughout your home.

Using a blend of fiber optics and AT&T’s advanced digital network, AT&T U-verse® actually delivers your phone and television over the Internet.  Officially called Internet Protocol Television, IPTV allows you to accept standard and hi-def broadcasts over your existing phone line.  Similarly, your digital phone service uses Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.  However, AT&T U-verse® differs from many VoIP services by allowing you to use your existing phones and phone number.   Like its high speed Internet, the entire system operates from a central router that delivers the signal throughout your home.

You can find out if AT&T U-verse® is available in your area by entering your address in the “Savings Widget” at the op of the page.

So you’ve made the decision to get high speed Internet.  Congratulations!  You’ll love the enhanced online abilities you’ll gain from faster browsing speeds. But how do you know which high speed Internet service to get?

For most, the choice boils down to three things:

1. Availability – Which high speed Internet providers are in your area?
2. Speed – How fast is fast?  And how fast is too fast?
3. Cost – Is high speed really that much more than dial-up Internet?

If you can nail down an acceptable service that meets the usual criteria, you’ve pretty much settled on your high speed Internet provider. If you want to get started looking, you can compare providers and plans right now with the “Find Savings” widget at the top of the page. Just enter your address and we’ll show you what’s available.

In the mean time, let’s breakdown the usual criteria.

Availability – In some areas, there may only be one provider.  Maybe you can only get high speed cable Internet (also known as “broadband”) from your local cable provider. Maybe your only option is DSL high speed Internet from the local telephone company. Of course, you may have multiple choices from several differnet providers. In that case, compare speed and cost to see what ets you the most bang for your buck.

Of course, even if you live in a more rural area you can still get high speed Internet. Just because there isn’t a cable line or DSL wire that runs to yor house doesn’t mean you can’t have high speed Internet. Look into satellite Internet. You’d need a dish, but no wires. The cost and speeds are both comparable to cable and DSL, so satellite Internet is totally acceptable option for getting high speed Internet in rural areas.

Speed – So let’s talk about speed. If you’re used to dial-up, high speed Internet will definitely be a welcomed change of pace.  Pages that used to take several minutes to fully display will pop up almost instantly.  That new picture of your neice that your sister sent over will download right away.  If you choose fiber optic Internet, like Verizon FiOS, the speed will simply amaze you.  You’ll truly wonder why you didn’t switch before now.

But how fast is fast? This chart should help you understand the different speeds and how they apply to you.

So how do those speeds apply to you? Well, the faster your Internet the faster you can download that picture of your neice. At 50 mbps, you could also watch HD movies online and feel like you’re at the theater!

Cost – You’ll also consider cost. The good news is that high speed Internet is priced for a variety of needs. If you have no interest in playing the latest online games or watching feature films over the Internet, than you probably don’t need to pay for the best of the best. Most of us will do just fine with a basic high speed service. The best idea for you is to find out what providers actually offer high speed Internet at your house. From there, you can determine how much you’re willing to spend. Having a price in mind will help you decide if you want high speed Internet or ultra fast high speed Internet.

In the ever evolving mission to produce the fastest high speed Internet,  Verizon FiOS has successfully tested near “break neck” speed.  Using its gigabit passive optical network (GPON), Verizon successfully sent data at 1gbps.  If you’re looking for perspective here, that’s 200 times faster than its current 50mbps high speed Internet, which is plenty fast itself.

An article written for Electronista claims, “The test was conducted in Taunton in June, with an existing GPON system sending data to a second optical network terminal. Both an optimized route and across the public Internet to a regional speed test server over 400 miles away were part of the test.”  That translates to achieving optimal performance in ideal and typical situations.

So what does that mean for us, the consumers?  That means we are well on our way to using super fast high speed Internet, with Verizon FiOS anyway.

When it comes to cable TV, high speed Internet services and local phone service, the marketplace is fueled by heavy advertising and fierce competition and it doesn’t go unnoticed.    Along with several other providers, Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable consistently find themselves in the Top 10 as listed in the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s  Top 25 Multichannel Video Programming Distributors list.

So how do  Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable rank in the Top 10?  Subrscribers.

The NCTA uses “basic video subscribers” to determine who tops the list in the industry.  Basically, the more subscribers you have, the higher you rank.  And as of March 2010, Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable ranked #1, #8, and #4, respectively.  To see how your local cbale comany stacks up against the rest, check out the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s  Top 25 Multichannel Video Programming Distributors list.

As high speed Internet providers wrap that globe in fiber optic cable, it pays to remind ourselves not to repeat the past.  Remember, it’s only been ten years since the I LOVE YOU worm crippled computers. In 2004, MyDoom made the news. Computer viruses and worms haven’t made the front page as much recently, but that doesn’t mean we can relax. It was only last year, that the Conficker virus infected an estimated 10 million computers and Gumbler began wrecking havoc as well.

With the near constant growth of high speed Internet services, we do more and more on the web.  Consequently, the opportunities provided by high speed Internet services also provides more opportunities for a virus to find you.  Sharing music, files or photos; visiting an infected Web site; opening spam email or an email attachment; and downloading free games, toolbars, media players and other system utilities can transmit a virus. These are all things that we do everyday, so it pays to be somewhat cautious.  Take notice if your Internet speed slows,  and keep your anti-virus software updated. And, make sure it’s turned on! Back-up your computer so you have a clean copy of your data if your computer is infected.

As a reminder to why you need to be vigilant, note that even less harmful computer viruses can disrupt your system’s performance by sapping memory, causing frequent crashes and slowing down your high speed Internet. The most serious viruses will damage programs, delete files, or reformat the hard drive. Others simply replicate themselves or flood a network with traffic, making it impossible to perform any web-based activity.

To be sure, there are pros and cons to having high speed Internet services.  With high speed DSL or broadband, you can truly unleash the power of your computer and the web.  Just remember to be vigilant so you don’t unleash anything else.