Streamyx

Well, the Internet access industry is starting to shake its way out. The much-anticipated consolidation of access providers is nearing its end. In broadband, this means that most users have little or no choice of providers. Though many of the changes have been hard on user choice, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In some cases, it's better to have one stable and pricey provider than 100 unstable, cheap providers. The shakeout was painful for scores of users who often were left with no connection when they needed it most. And some providers left standing don't exactly have good track records, either.

Still, there is reason for users to be optimistic about the future. The following is an outline of the way the Internet access business should go in the coming year. I provide it to give you a better understanding of where you should go now, assuming you want to stick with the same internet access provider for at least a year.

Don't ditch dial-up

A lot of users were glad they hung on to their dial-up accounts in the midst of uncertainty with their broadband connections. When things go bad with broadband (as they often do), you at least can get e-mail, if not a quick scan of the headlines in text-heavy Web sites.

If you have a dial-up account, and you're paying less than $20 for it, consider it a blessing to have a back-up system. At the very least, when you need to reach tech support for your broadband account and you can't get through due to heavy call volume, you can e-mail them from your dial-up account. Things to look out for in dial-up:

Go with a provider that has been around long enough to quickly respond to such issues as software upgrades and peak calling volumes.

Read the fine print before signing. Some ISPs will disconnect you after a relatively short amount of time of idleness. Others let you stay online as long as you're actively engaged. Still others never disconnect users. The last is preferable; the middle option usually offers the best value.

Check out Boardwatch magazine's ISP Directory to see how much infrastructure you will be paying for. Make sure your chosen ISP has an acceptable ratio of modems to users. Three users for every modem is acceptable, considering that it is unlikely that all their customers will dial up at once. o Match prices with the ratio of modem pools to users.

Check out options such as personal Web site services and multiple addresses. These are nice to have and can add value to your experience as long as you use them--provided they're bundled in.

DSL doldrums

Of all the access methods, DSL has received the most scorn since I've been at this job. My own experiences were horrendous, and I'm not alone. It works great for about 20 percent of the population who are geographically blessed. It works OK for another 30 percent or so of the population, who may have to endure some line noise in order to get DSL. And it doesn't work at all for the other half. Couple its inherent technical limitations with DSL providers falling off the wires like shocked birds, and the situation has not been pretty.

Still, those providers that have made it through the shock test should be able to offer a good experience (with the exception of Qwest). Consider DSL carefully and you will avoid a lot of pain.

Some DSL issues you should consider:

Talk to a neighbor about their DSL experience. Do they have a lot of line noise on the phone even with the filters? Did they have any equipment or network problems with their provider? If so, did they get put on hold and shuffled around through tech support when they called in? Was their DSL provider able to support a variety of platforms, or was it basically Windows-only?

Consider an ISP for DSL service.

The Baby Bells, such as Qwest and Verizon, are not well equipped to deliver DSL service. Even though smaller ISPs may only resell DSL service from Baby Bell providers, they at least provide a live human being when things go wrong. Because the Baby Bells know the cost of supporting DSL users, they can offer DSL to ISPs much more cheaply than they can offer it directly to users. So you can often get a price break from ISPs, especially if you're willing to accept a slightly slower connection.

Mary works in US for a media company, occasionally writing for the biggest cheap internet access news portal, and drinking too much coffee.

Cingular Wireless - all quad-band phones purchased from Cingular work in Greece (and all other countries using GSM, which is the vast majority). For example, you could purchase a Motorola Razor V3 (currently available with a new agreement on-line for $29.99) and it will work in Greece. Cingular has three roaming partners in Greece - Cosmote, Vodafone and TIM.

Voice and Data and 2-way text messaging throughout the country. If she will be in Athens, for example, there is very solid coverage. Cingular also offers Go-Phone international, which allows you to purchase international minutes without commitment. Rates for international minutes used in Greece are $2.29 per minute. You would need a Cingular Go-Phone (prices range from $29.99 to $99.99).

The cost of a 1-minute call (whether made or received) is $1.29. A text message sent is $0.50. You will, of course, also have to have a standard rate plan with Cingular ($39.99 for 450 minutes - these are minutes that only count within the US, all the minutes used outside the US are charged, as mentioned above). Be sure to request international roaming is added to the account. Also, there is a 90-day waiting period, typically, so be sure to get your service soon.

T-Mobile offers international roaming in Greece also and any quad-band T-Mobile phone will work there, as well. The cost per minute with T-Mobile is $1.49. T-Mobile has very similar coverage in Athens. They also have international text messaging at a lower cost than Cingular - $0.35 to send and $0.10 to receive. You can also have it pull from a bucket of messages (separate messaging plans). As with Cingular, you will need a standard rate plan from T-Mobile (similar costs).

Verizon Wireless also has roaming in Greece. You must purchase or rent one of their Global Phones since Greece only has GSM coverage (versus CDMA). There is one Motorola phone and two Samsung phones available. Prices for purchase are around $300.00. Costs for a 1-minute call while in Greece are $1.29 per minute. International text messaging is $.50 for sent text messages and $0.05 for received text messages. If you rent a Global phone, the rate is $3.99 per day and $1.49 for minute for usage.

With Sprint/Nextel, you would need a Nextel phone capable of working on the GSM network in Greece. There are about 4 models available including the i930 and V180 from Motorola. Calls are $1.29 per minute. International rentals are available for $45 per week (or $67 for a month and other rates for different periods of time). Calls are the same as above, $1.29 per minute. International text messages are $0.15 per message sent or received. Coverage is very similar to all three of the providers listed above.

If you don't currently have a cell phone plan for your daughter and only want the service while she is in Greece, you may want to consider Cingular's International Go-Phone or Verizon or Sprint's rental program. If you currently have a phone for her on the T-Mobile or Cingular network, then you may want to verify that it is a quad-band phone and if so, then just add international roaming and/or text messaging and know that it will cost you the per minute charge while she is in Greece.

I'm a big believer in not messing with cell phones, as it relates to trying to fix them. If the dial pad is not working, it sounds like something is connecting properly and it needs to be fixed. If you bought your phone through a wireless provider like Sprint, Verizon, Cingular or T-Mobile, you can send it in for a warranty/exchange if you bought the phone less than 12 months ago.

If you have had it longer than 12 months, but less than 24 months, you may want to try to get it repaired by Motorola. If it is over 24 months, I would suggest replacing it, since you would be eligible for a replacement after 24 months.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant at http://www.SellUsedCellularPhones.com/. Sell Used Cellular Phones is a community of various independent used cellular phone sellers from around the world. Each used cellular phone seller represents a unique style of products all their own.