[GRLUG] Local ISP's (was NOT LINUX - net neutrality)

[Michael Mol]

On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 5:35 PM, Matthew Seeley <matthew at threadlight.com> wrote:
> Not to sidetrack this fun conversation but,
>
> When we mention 'competition' in ISP's in Grand Rapids -- can anyone provide a list of recommendations for high speed internet providers (where 'high speed' means "reliably pull down 3Mbps or greater"? Is there something that a reasonable, tech-savvy person can do to support the little guy here?

Uncertain. You might try MichWave; my wardriving app on my cell phone
picked up their signal, once, driving down Chicago Drive in
Grandville. I imagine that, with a cantenna, you'd be able to pick
them up more reliably. I don't know what their throughput is like.

If you're near downtown, you might try some of the metro ethernet places.

Someone called JAS Networks apparently offers 10Mb/s (symmetrical)
residential service:
http://www.jasnetworks.net/v4/go.gnf?s=jasnet&d=products&product=2368&itemId=5397

And 20Mb/s symmetrical business service:
http://www.jasnetworks.net/v4/go.gnf?s=jasnet&d=products&product=2369&itemId=6693

Looks like both Verizon and iServ are doing Metro Ethernet options:
http://www.verizonbusiness.com/external/service_guide/reg/cp_epl_metro_ethernet_private_line_metro.htm
http://www.iserv.net/metroethernet

I see Livewire and 123net have metro ethernet and/or fiber services in
the area, but they're more business-oriented. Nothing stops you from
purchasing business-oriented services, of course:
http://livewire-networks.com/contact
http://www.123.net/?page_id=66

>
> The only ones I know of are Comcast, AT&T, Clearwire. I'd love to know about alternatives, if they're are any.
>
> Everyone else that I know of either doesn't serve our area, or just resells one of the above (I was told that Iserv's DSL is just AT&T DSL resold, for instance, at about 50% markup. Last time I talked to them, they also wanted to lock residential users into two year agreements as well).

Anyone who sells ADSL in the area is reselling AT&T's ADSL services.

> This is just my personal opinion, but I certainly don't feel like theres any competition here.
>
> And I'm not even talking about suburbs, I'm in downtown grand rapids, just blocks away from US Signal's Datacenter, but I can't get home internet faster than 8mb (and then, only through comcast), and I can't get DSL at all. (AT&T keeps sending technicians, apparently the phone lines are in a huge state of disarray…) Even if AT&T fixes the phone lines, the fastest they'll let me have is 6mb.

Yeah, the copper in my grandmother's neighborhood is shot, too. It
took ages for her to convince them it was busted. Wet copper is an
intermittent problem.

A few blocks away from a data center, huh? I noticed there are
apparently a very, very large number of data centers in the area. I
wonder if they would be good anchor points for a new wireless ISPs, or
that wireless mesh concept I was looking at a few years ago.

> Is there a 'locally owned' and/or not questionably unethical high speed ISP that people in Grand Rapids can support?

I don't think it's possible to have a "not questionably unethical"
consumer business; you can do the best you can reasonably do, and then
someone raises a seed of doubt for any or no reason.

-- 
:wq

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