Today, people are able to do more using the internet than they ever have before, and America Connects provides you with more ways to get connected. Simply enter your address in the box above to locate internet providers and the most economical plans in your area.
Trying to determine which internet service is best for you? Keep reading to find out more about internet access solutions, speeds and more.
Which Tennessee High Speed Internet Service is Best for You?
The internet has turned into a powerful tool that allows you to stay in touch with family and friends, work remotely from your home, download media for entertainment on your own schedule and much more. Internet service providers (ISPs) understand 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 initially introduced in the mid-1990's, the only option was what's known as dial-up service. Dial-up brings internet access in to the home by using a local phone number and active telephone line. At the time this was a great solution for many people since most people already had a home telephone.
However, internet speeds tended to be sluggish and depended on your local area. The other drawback was that in order to gain access to the internet the telephone line used as the connection had to be free. As the internet expanded to incorporate more robust media and sites many determined they needed a faster internet service.
Internet Service Providers turned to cable and digital subscriber lines (DSLs) to deliver faster internet services. These methods are often called as "broadband". Over time as internet services have gotten better, the measurement for what is considered broadband has changed.
These days, the FCC considers an internet service to be high-speed 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 using your internet service provider as well as your proximity to your ISP.
Those considering high-speed internet can choose between cable internet, DSL internet, satellite internet or fiber optic internet services.
Tennessee Cable Internet Services and Providers
Cable broadband internet services work with a cable TV connection to provide consumers with broadband internet access. In order to make the connection there's a cable modem on the users end along with a cable modem termination system on the cable providers end. The distance between the modem and termination system can be approximately 100 miles with virtually no difficulties occurring.
Cable broadband internet can work at around 30 Mbps, however some cable modems may limit the amount of data being transmitted. In addition, when you use cable internet services you share bandwidth with other subscribers. The network monitor makes sure that bandwidth is distributed efficiently so that service doesn't slow during hours when overall usage peaks.
There are many service provider options for cable broadband internet. Time Warner and Comcast are top cable high speed internet service providers throughout the majority of the US.
Check the availability of cable internet service in your town - enter your address within the box above.
Tennessee DSL High Speed Internet Services and Providers
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) internet services transfer data utilizing a copper phone line. Unlike dial-up services, DSL works off of frequencies that aren't used for making phone calls by splitting the line in two - one for voice calls and another for high speed internet use.
Digital subscriber lines run from a central office out to consumers. Typically this confines DSL distribution to a short distance of 2 miles from the central office, though some lines run up to five miles long. This factor also affects the exact download and upload speeds.
Fortunately little to no infrastructure is needed and it's a genuine high speed internet service that transmits data at a rate up to 10Mbps. DSL also provides better stability and security than some other options because it is being provided by a phone line that usually isn't shared.
Top rated DSL internet service providers include AT&T. You can find DSL options from service providers in your city by entering your address within the box above.
Tennessee Satellite High Speed Internet Services and Providers
Satellite 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 are considered broadband, because data must travel to the satellite and back over thousands of miles users can occasionally experience signal delays of about 1-2 seconds.
Despite the potential for short delays, satellite high speed internet is capable of providing data at 5Mbps. Satellite high speed internet is ideal for those wanting high speed internet in rural places where DSL and cable services aren't available. AT&T, and the Dish Network are both leading 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.
Tennessee Fiber Optic High Speed Internet Services and Providers
Fiber optic is the newest and fastest approach to bring broadband internet into the home. Systems of fiber optic cables can deliver high speed internet nearly 25 times faster than other high speed options and are more dependable than cable, DSL and satellite services. This is due to the fact that fiber optic wiring is more sturdy than other connections and isn't impacted by storms, static or noise.
For those looking for the fastest high speed 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.
Currently, Comcast and AT&T offer fiber optic/copper hybrid services but 100% fiber optic broadband internet services are only available through Verizon FiOS. They began providing fiber optic internet services in 2006 and are continuously increasing their service areas.
See if fiber optic internet services are available in your town - enter your address in the box above.
