RAW SPEED!

If you live in Northern Virginia near Washington DC, you may have an opportunity to try ADSL from Bell Atlantic for a mere $30 a month over the cost of the internet connection (another $30 per month). There are no line installation (inside or out) nor setup charges nor is there any cost for the terminal device. ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) allows downloads at speeds up to 1,500Kbps and uploads at 64Kbps. Compare that with the fastest analog modem at 56Kpbs. Bell Atlantic is running a special on an ISDN (a mere 64 to 128Kbps) connection that I was looking into when reader Neal Emerald called my attention to the ADSL experiment. In contrast, ISDN costs $60 per month at my internet usage rate plus the ISP ($22-30 per month) plus the terminal adapter at $200 or more plus in-house wiring at $100-150. ADSL is over 10 times faster downloading than ISDN! How do you know if you can participate in the ADSL experiment? If your area code is 703 check this table to see if your exchange (first three numbers of your telephone number) is listed. The experiment started a couple of months ago and continues through mid-1998. Unfortunately, my exchange is not among those in the test. :-( If you live outside Area Code 703 and are interested in trying ADSL, look up the web site of your local telco to see if they are offering an ADSL experiment.