Report: Broadband access lacking (Carroll County Times)
Carroll County lacks enough available and affordable broadband access for residents and businesses, according to a new report issued by a Columbia-based consulting firm.

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Large or Small? Choosing a DSL Service Provider


Ok, so you're tired of being able to cook an entire meal while waiting for a video clip to download over your dial-up internet connection, and you'd like to be able to load all the images on a website without falling asleep from boredom. You need to find a DSL service provider! Luckily, there are enough companies in the business today that finding the exact right package is a breeze if you keep this advice in mind.

First, think about whether to go with one of the large DSL service providers, like AT&T, or whether a smaller local company would better suit you. Each has advantages and disadvantages:

Large DSL Service Provider

Pros: For starters, a large company has the deepest market penetration. This means that you're likely to find service in your area. This is important because the quality of a DSL signal decreases with distance from the parent source.

A larger telecomm has probably also wired your neighborhood already, so getting your service up and running will just take a 15 minute visit from one of their technicians.

Finally, a large company like Verizon can offer package deals on combined telephone, cellphone, and DSL service that a small company can't match. They're also likely to include a DSL modem with your new contract. This maximizes your opportunity for the perfect fit.

Cons: Technical support can get expensive with a big DSL service provider. Many provide self-troubleshooting software, but if that doesn't fix the problem you're looking at paying for a service call.

Recent news headlines have highlighted another concern: privacy. Several large telecomms, including AT&T and Verizon, turned over data records from their servers to the government.

Small DSL Service Provider

Pros: If you live outside a big city, a small company may be your best bet for getting good service. There might be a larger telecomm in the area, but if the small provider is geographically closer to your home or office then they'll deliver the better quality DSL signal and speed.

A smaller company sometimes means better service! You're less likely to pay for tech support with a local DSL service provider.

As for privacy, the feds have yet to ask any small providers for customer data, and hackers tend to go after the large targets to make it worth their while.

Cons: You aren't going to get as many package options, prices, or speed. A small DSL service provider also might not be around as long as a national telecomm. Lastly, you may get less storage space for items like email as smaller companies don't have the server resources that bigger ones do.

DSL Space

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