Computer Software

Both DirecTV and Dish TV recently announced they will bundle their Satellite TV service with high-speed Internet service via satellite through WildBlue Communications.

Cable television has been leading the way, bundling not only cable TV, but phone and high-speed Internet services. People are looking for two things when it comes to television and Internet connection – price and service. Cable has been aggressively responding, and Satellite TV is starting to get the message.

WildBlue launched its high-speed Internet connection service a year ago and has 60,000 subscribers. Their monthly service ranges from $49.95 to $79.95, with download speeds of up to 1.5 megabits per second. Their one draw back is the $299 equipment charge.

Pricing is yet to be determined for Dish Network and DirecTV packages bundled with WildBlue services, but they will have to offer a smaller equipment charge, or no charge at all in order to be competitive.

Satellite TV companies have offered DSL Internet connection for some time. They attempted to market to people without cable access in rural and remote areas. But both DirecTV and Dish Network have had miserable sales due to uncompetitive prices. DirecTV charged $580 for installation alone. The only people who bought the services were those that had no other alternative for high-speed connection, but now local phone services are able to reach these customers with radio towers.

Bundled Services is the Future

Customers don’t want to deal with a myriad of companies. They demand more simplicity. They want to deal with a single company that is willing to discount multiple services.

Comcast, the largest cable provider in Colorado, offers packages starting at $112 for cable TV, Internet service at 6 megabits per second and phone service. According to Cindy Parsons, spokeswoman for Comcast Colorado:

“We are accustomed to competition and expect there will be a wide variety of promotions from our competitors.”

Qwest Communications recently dropped the price of its bundled services. New customers can pay about $87 per month for local and long distance calling, 1.5-megabits Internet speeds and satellite TV service.

The two satellite TV powerhouses will have to offer similar bundled prices if they are going to remain competitive. And equally important is their Internet connection service will need to be reliable.

This new deal with WildBlue Communications will help Dish Network and DirecTV better compete with cable and telephone companies such as Comcast and Qwest. Consumers should benefit with alternative solutions and lower prices.

Anyone who has switched from a dial-up modem to broadband DSL knows the advantages of DSL internet access. The differences between the two are truly astounding. When people begin surfing the internet using broadband DSL after struggling with a dial-up modem, they never want to go back to a slow and often unreliable dial-up connection.

Broadband DSL connection speeds vary, but the average DSL connection rate ranges on average between 128 kilobits per second all the way up to 1.54 megabits per second. Typical dial-up modems can’t even come close to reaching typical broadband DSL speeds.

The remarkable speed of broadband DSL has made internet use more convenient, and DSL has improved the quality of many existing online activities such as shopping, banking, downloading audio and video, and gaming. Besides a notable increase in connection speed and website navigation, with broadband DSL, internet users are always connected to the world wide web. DSL provides
valuable information and online activities that remain just a few keystrokes away.

Broadband DSL saves money as well as valuable time. Broadband DSL eliminates the need for additional phone lines. People using broadband DSL are able to talk on the phone while browsing the net, and all computers within a household can surf the web independently with the use of wireless routers.

Security is another plus for broadband DSL users. Broadband DSL subscribers use their own private telephone lines to make contact with their DSL service provider. Cables and lines are not shared by other internet subscribers, and therefore user access is private and very secure.

Broadband DSL is constantly improving as new technology is discovered and implemented. When considering the cost of broadband DSL versus the cost of dial-up, there is no comparison. The benefits of broadband DSL are immeasurable. Broadband DSL is truly the solution for businesses and consumers wanting quick and reliable internet connectivity.