Internet : Connecting and Costs

To connect to the Internet from home you will need several items :

• A multimedia computer or a Digital TV control box that provides Internet access.
• A telephone line or cable TV connection.
• Some hardware to enable your computer to communicate such as a modem or ADSL modem.
• Software to access services such as a web browser and electronic mail software.
• A subscription to an Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you are using a modem the ISP will provide you with a telephone number you can ring to access the Internet. If you use broadband the company that provides your broadband service will be your ISP.

The two most common methods of connecting to the Internet are using a modem and telephone line or a broadband connection. Other methods such as ISDN are also available. This table compares accesing the Internet by modem and broadband. Press on a Go button at the bottom of the table to find out more about how the two methods work.

Method	Modem	Broadband
Connection Via	Telephone Line	Telephone Line or Cable TV cable
Hardware	Modem	ADSL Modem, Cable Modem or Router
Speed	56.6KBps	560 to 2048KBps
Connection Time	Must dial up to use. Takes about 1 minute to connect.	Always connected or almost instant connection.
Availability	Anywhere there is a telephone line.	Available to around 85% of UK population.
Pricing	Either a fixed monthly fee of £12 upwards for virtually unlimited use or pay per minute (typically 2p/min).	Fixed monthly fee for unlimited usage. Fees range from £15 to £75 depending on required speed.
Suits	People who can not get broadband, need to use the Internet from various locations (maybe with a laptop) or who use the Internet infrequently.	People who use the Internet a lot, always from the same location.
More Info

GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004