Companies deliver speed via broadband Internet access

With more business being done over the Internet and via e-mail, the demand for speedier Internet uploads and downloads is increasing. To help meet the demand, high-speed Internet access is available in the Springfield area through a variety of businesses.

"The benefits of high-speed are decreased time and increased efficiency. It frees up the computer for other operations. It frees up the personnel for other operations," said Steve Powell, president of Atlas Communications.

Powell described the typical business user who needs high-speed Internet as one who often needs to upload big files. "If you do artwork, or for advertising agencies, engineering companies (or) architects, they may want to send some plans over the Internet to a client. It makes them much more efficient," Powell said.

Internet-based sales and connecting branch offices also are reasons clients need high-speed hookups.

"We have some customers who are using the Web for e-commerce, to take orders and things like that. We have some branch offices (that) are using it to connect to their home office to transfer files and communicate. We have some computer stores that use it to download drivers for things they need off of the Internet. We have some businesses who are selling their products on eBay," said John Depperschmidt, sales/marketing manager of Mediacom.

High-speed Internet, or broadband, typically refers to access speeds that meet or exceed 300 kilobits per second, according to Atlas Communications.

The method of achieving such speed varies: cable, wireless, digital subscriber line and satellite.

Mediacom Online offers high-speed Internet access to small businesses via cable hookup. Atlas Communications offers high speed through Atlas Wireless Internet, point-to-point T1, and DSL service. Tritel offers high-speed connections via data circuits and DSL for business customers.

"An Internet circuit is a circuit that will give access to the World Wide Web, or a private circuit connects two business locations to each other and runs from one location to another acting more like a pipe between the two locations," said Michael Zalewski, senior network engineer and chief security officer at Tritel Communications. "They are high speed and can go from 56k up to T1 and above. A T1 would be instantaneous," Zalewski said.

"DSL is an excellent option for smaller businesses because it's significantly cheaper. Internet T1 costs $600 to $1,200, where DSL ranges from $100 to $150 for monthly costs."

At Atlas, high speed is available through wireless or Skynet service. In addition to wireless service in Nixa, Powell said, Atlas has "transmitters in Springfield that are for the higher speed; it competes favorably with a T1 grade of service."

Atlas' Skynet service is a one-way satellite service.

"Two-way satellite Internet leaves quite a bit to be desired in price versus what you actually get for the service. Your upload speeds on a two-way satellite Internet are really not that much better than a standard dial-up connection; download speeds are pretty good. But it's very pricey," Powell said.

Atlas offers one-way satellite called Atlas Skynet, designed for anybody that needs better downloads. "It can download generally up to 400 kilobits per second. For a business grade user, we can go higher than that. It uses the existing phone line as the uplink, and it uses the satellite as the downlink," Powell said.

Powell said the business rate DSL Atlas offers is SDSL with the "S" standing for symmetrical. Common DSL is ADSL, which stands for asymmetrical, meaning there is a different speed for uploading and for downloading. "Business grade in an SDSL is a guaranteed rate," Powell said.

Atlas' three Skynet plans start at a monthly fee of $34.95 and go to $54.95; equipment and installation fees total $249.

While Skynet doesn't eliminate a phone line, the phone line is freed sooner.

"For example, if you download an update for Internet Explorer with a slow dialup connection, you may be on there all night and maybe it's done the next morning. With the satellite, it's just a matter of a few minutes," Powell said.

Not everyone wants to go skyward. At Mediacom, service is delivered through the same cable as cable television service. Costs vary with the type of high-speed access selected and the level of service required. For instance, Mediacom's four business packages start with the basic at a $79.95 monthly fee, $99.95 standard installation charge, and go up to the ultimate business cable package at $249.95 per month plus $149.95 for installation.

The business basic package has a downstream speed of up to 1,500 kbps for downloading and an up to 128-kbps upstream speed to upload and is intended for up to five users; the ultimate package's downstream speed of 3,000 kbps and upstream speed of up to 384 kbps can handle up to 15 users.

"Unlike a DSL-type line, the speeds that we offer aren't dependent on how far you are away from our office," Depperschmidt said.

Depperschmidt said the requests for Mediacom's high-speed Internet service are steadily growing. "It's really only been about a month or two since we've started actively marketing the business product. Our problem right now isn't finding customers, it's being able to get to everybody who wants it."

"The demand for high-speed access is getting greater and greater. Unless you are in a totally isolated business, you need some kind of high-speed access, if for no other reason, so you can use e-mail. High-speed access allows immediate responses from vendors, potential customers, and the sales force out in the field. It is an outstanding and very efficient means of communication," Zalewski said.