$70 for an internet connection is not cheap. The author just means that it's not a no-brainer for individuals currently on one of the big providers who are on a budget.
Comcast charges $65.95/mo. to $78.95/mo for 70mb/s in the Detroit metro area. $70/month for 1gbs service and not having to deal with Comcast is a no-brainer
Oh wow that is expensive. In The Netherlands the big ADSL/Cable providers are 20/30 euro p/m + whatever you pay for TV and phone. The fiber operators charge 40-50 euro. I didn't expect it to be that much more expensive in the US.
> $70 for 1gbps rather beats that by a drastic margin.
You need to factor in the marginal utility of added bandwidth. Few people can meaningfully utilise 20-50mbps (a full HD stream is <10mbps), much less 1gbps, so you're looking at paying $20-30 for, essentially, nothing.
For the record, I count myself in the group of people who can't utilise such a connection, although I'm squarely in the group of people who'd pay for the faster connection in a heartbeat regardless.
Nobody needs 70 mb/s for basic internet access. I think the cheap lower/end is 20-30 /month. I pay $30/month for 50 mb/s and it works just fine for HD streaming videos.
I would love higher BW but while I could afford it I already have my own cable modem and to upgrade would need to get special equipment from my ISP, which I would have to lease and deal with the inconvenience of giving back at one of their far away locations. It's been annoying the past so decided to pass.
But for anyone who is price sensitive doubling/tripling their internet bill is a non-starter.
Time Warner 100/10 Mbps at $50 per month in NYC. Promotion is at ~$45. But I invested my own router and my own modem (one of those Motorola SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0) to get the most out of my bucks. Verizon in the neighborhood can give a two-year promotion for similar price for FiOS optic, but I will have to get rid of my modem and try the experience... god knows good/awful.
Why is upload always so low? Is it expensive for upstream bandwidth?
> Why is upload always so low? Is it expensive for upstream bandwidth?
Nah. Sometimes it's due to the last mile access technology being asymmetric (ADSL, cable, PON), but mostly it's to differentiate consumer products from business products.
Their asymetric bandwidth offering is configured that way on purpose, it isn't the hardware. They offer symetrical bandwidth if your line a business connection.
I've had FiOS residential and business over the _same_ line (different times, of course) and it goes to the same CO.
It's even worse in Detroit, since those Comcast prices you listed are temporary ones for new customers or bundles. You can call them to complain and they'll probably knock the price down but it's a hassle. I pay $67 for only 25mb/s!
In Switzerland, 1Gbs down/up optic fiber costs 150 CHF, roughly $150 USD. It comes with TV (no separate Internet only option). It's a lot of money, but given the median income still very affordable.
You're probably talking about the Swisscom offering, which is roughly comparable to what at&t might offer. Fiber7 sells 1 Gbps lines for around CHF 65.- per month, without the obligation to also get a TV subscription and more nonsense.
Are you happy with it? I like the idea of getting rid of the TV that I do not use, but I am quite happy with the performance and support that Swisscom offers.
