> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Before you invest your money in DSL, I
> would at least look at a cable modem. Cable is typically just a wee
> bit faster, plus you get the flexibility of changing telcos if you
> find a telco you like better. PAT]
Since the original poster is in Ottawa, I'm guessing his cable
provider is Rogers and his telco is Bell Canada. Those two companies
have been offering practically identical speed/price packages, every
move by one matched by the other and, historically, (IMNSHO) Bell's
network has had a better reputation. Perhaps more importantly, not
very long ago Rogers experienced a customer relations fiasco as a
result of disconnecting the alleged highest-bandwidth customers in
areas where they received performance complaints, despite protests by
some of the disconnected users that they curtailed or even discon-
tinued their internet use immediately after receiving a warning.
Disconnecting users for allegedly violating undefinable bandwidth caps
and other past faux pas earn Rogers dead last place on my list of
potential providers and a "wee bit faster" connection isn't going to
change that.
It is also worth noting that, if the original poster decides to go
DSL, he can choose from many comapnies offering different prices and
options. For example, after paying Bell Sympatico $10/month modem
rental fee for several years I bought my own and switched to Primus
Canada, who charge about the same as Bell Sympatico minus the
$10/month modem rental fee for the same connection speed; over two
years later, I'm way ahead and satisfied with Primus. There are
cheaper providers, and providers with more features (e.g. fixed IP
address without paying for business-class service) if you want.
Canadians looking for internet access can use
http://www.canadianisp.com/ to find details of ISPs' offerings in
their area. (NOTE: I am not in any way affiliated with that web site.)
In theory, Canadian regulations permit you to mix and match telcos and
DSL providers (as long as both wholesale the subscriber loop or the
DSL infrastructure from Bell Canada), though I have yet to hear
stories of this happeneing smoothly.
Geoffrey Welsh <Geoffrey [dot] Welsh [at] bigfoot [dot] com>
Never leave until tomorrow what can wait until next week.
Geoffrey Welsh (reply@newsgroup.please)