Tips for Choosing an Internet Service Provider

As dial-up is no longer the sole choice for Internet service, it’s important to research all options before choosing an Internet service provider. The J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Internet Service Provider Study^SM shows that high-speed Internet access is increasing in popularity as more consumers now subscribe to high-speed than to dial-up (roughly 78% of the country are Internet subscribers and 56% of them subscribe to high-speed Internet). The following are some helpful tips to use when shopping for an Internet service provider.

• For any network access product—dial-up or high-speed—look for promotions or possibly combinations of Internet access with other products and services when you can, as this will generally lead to some immediate savings.
• If you plan to travel and want to access your e-mail on the road, check with your prospective access provider to ensure they have dial-up access numbers in the areas you plan to travel most frequently.
• If your high-speed access provider doesn’t have access numbers, but your computer has Ethernet or wireless high-speed access, ensure that you can check your e-mail using your prospective provider’s Web-based e-mail product or find out if you will need different log-on settings to roam using your client-based e-mail product like Outlook or Entourage.

Price decreases for high-speed and dial-up Internet access
The price gap between high-speed access and dial-up access is narrowing. The price for dial-up Internet access has decreased by 8% from last year to an average price of $18.45 per month. The average price for high-speed access is $42.13, down 4% from 2005, bringing the gap between the two services to $23.68. Additionally, the double-play option of bundling telephone service and high-speed Internet access is provided by many cable and telephone companies and offers a better value for consumers.

Consumers are willing to pay more for high-speed access
As high-speed and dial-up Internet access prices are decreasing, consumers are moving away from the slower dial-up option to high-speed access. Consumers are willing to pay a slightly higher price for a better data-transfer speed. Consumers demonstrate a higher level of satisfaction if they are paying a higher price for the data-transfer speed, but are receiving other services, such as residential telephone services, for a lower price.