These days, people are able to do more with the internet than ever before, and America Connects offers you more ways to get connected. Simply enter your address within the box above to find internet providers and the most economical plans in your city.
Trying to determine which internet service is best for you? Continue reading to learn more about internet access options, speeds and more.
Which Florida High Speed Internet Service is Right for you?
The internet has become a powerful tool that helps you keep in touch with friends and family, work remotely from your home, download media to enjoy on your own schedule and much more. Internet service providers (ISPs) realize that your internet needs are unique and now they deliver more options for high speed internet than ever before.
What exactly is High Speed Internet?
When the internet was first launched in the mid-1990's, the only option was what is known as dial-up service. Dial-up brings internet access to the home employing a local phone number and active telephone line. At the time this was a great choice for many people since most people already had a home telephone.
Nevertheless, internet speeds tended to be slow and were dependent on your local area. The other drawback was that in order to access the internet the phone line used as the connection had to be free. As the internet evolved to incorporate more robust media and sites many determined they required a faster internet service.
Internet Service Providers looked to cable and digital subscriber lines (DSLs) to deliver speedier internet services. These methods are often called as "broadband". Through the years as the services have improved, the measurement for what is considered high speed has evolved.
Currently, the FCC considers an internet service to be broadband if it has data download or upload speeds exceeding 768,000 bits per second (768 Kbps). The speed of your high speed internet may still vary depending on a few factors like how much bandwidth you share with other consumers employing your ISP and your proximity to your internet service provider.
Those interested in high-speed internet can choose between cable internet, DSL internet, satellite internet or fiber optic internet services.
Florida Cable Internet Services and Providers
Cable internet services utilize a cable TV connection to provide subscribers with broadband internet access. In order to make the connection there's a cable modem at the users end and a cable modem termination system at the cable providers end. The distance between the modem and termination system can be as much as 100 miles without any problems occurring.
Cable high speed internet can operate at around 30 Mbps, however some cable modems may restrict the amount of data being transmitted. Furthermore, when using cable high speed internet services you share bandwidth with other consumers. The network monitor makes certain that bandwidth is distributed efficiently so that service doesn't slow during hours when overall usage peaks.
There are a number of service provider options for cable internet. Time Warner and Comcast are leading cable broadband internet service providers throughout much of the nation.
Check the availability of cable internet service in your town - enter your address inside the box above.
Florida DSL High Speed Internet Services and Providers
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) internet services transfer data using a copper phone line. Unlike dial-up services, DSL works off of frequencies that aren't used for making telephone calls by splitting the line in two - one for voice calls and the other for broadband internet use.
Digital subscriber lines go from a central office out to consumers. Typically this limits DSL distribution to a short distance of two miles from the central office, though some lines go up to 5 miles long. This factor also affects the actual download and upload speeds.
Fortunately little to no infrastructure is needed and it's a true high speed internet service that transmits data at a rate up to 10Mbps. DSL also provides better dependability and security than various other options because it is being provided by a phone line that often isn't shared.
Leading DSL internet service providers include AT&T. You can find DSL options from providers in your town by entering your address inside the box above.
Florida Satellite High Speed Internet Services and Providers
Satellite broadband internet services employ orbiting satellites to capture and pass on broadband data between a satellite company and its subscribers. Though the download and upload speeds qualify as broadband, because data must travel to the satellite and back over many miles users can sometimes experience signal delays of about 1-2 seconds.
Despite the possibility of short delays, satellite internet is capable of delivering data at 5Mbps. Satellite internet is ideal for those wanting high speed internet in rural locations where DSL and cable services aren't available. AT&T, and the Dish Network are both prominent providers of satellite broadband internet services.
See if satellite broadband internet services are available in your neighborhood by entering your address in the box above.
Florida Fiber Optic Internet Services and Providers
Fiber optic is the most recent and fastest approach to bring broadband internet into the home. Systems of fiber optic cables can deliver high speed internet up to 25 times faster than other broadband options and are more dependable than cable, DSL and satellite services. This is due to the fact that fiber optic wiring is more resilient than other connections and isn't affected by storms, static or noise.
For those searching for the fastest high speed internet access fiber optic is the way to go. Fiber optic networks are renowned for their ability to transmit data at rates of up to 50 Mbps.
Presently, Comcast and AT&T offer fiber optic/copper hybrid services but 100% fiber optic broadband internet services are only accessible through Verizon FiOS. They started providing fiber optic internet services in 2006 and are continuously increasing their service areas.
See if fiber optic broadband internet services are available in your city - enter your address in the box above.
