| It seems like these days every major | | | | service from a traditional telephone company |
| telecommunications company is offering some | | | | (with all of the expense and frustration that goes |
| sort of bundled service package. Typically this is a | | | | with it). |
| way of marketing telecommunications services to | | | | The high speed Internet service will either come |
| private consumers in such a way that two or | | | | from the same phone company in the form of |
| more services are invoiced on the same bill and | | | | DSL or through a satellite Internet company. |
| the consumer is often given a major discount in | | | | Neither of these options is particularly good |
| exchange for entrusting that particular company | | | | because DSL tends to be relatively slow and |
| with extra business. Generally, bundling services | | | | satellite Internet service is both slow and |
| like this is a good idea for both you as a | | | | expensive. Plus, as if to add insult to injury, the |
| consumer and the company that's providing the | | | | satellite Internet service also comes with a built in |
| services for you. You get great convenience and | | | | time lag which makes it impossible to use with |
| savings and the company gets more business. | | | | real time applications like multi player video games, |
| Despite the apparent benefits of bundled services, | | | | VoIP, and video conferencing! |
| there are some pitfalls that you could experience | | | | The difference between this type of bundled |
| if you don't shop around carefully. On the other | | | | package and the one that's provided by cable is |
| hand, you can avoid many of the pitfalls | | | | that cable company uses digital cable technology |
| completely by choosing a higher quality company | | | | instead of the pie in the sky technology of |
| to provide you with your telecommunications | | | | satellites and the archaic technology of phone lines. |
| needs. | | | | Digital cable technology is able to do at least as |
| One of the major pitfalls that you could encounter | | | | good of a job of providing TV service as satellite |
| is the possibility of getting a bundled service | | | | TV and with the implementation of new |
| package from a company that outsources one or | | | | technology, it will likely be significantly better than |
| more of the services that you've signed up for to | | | | satellite in the near future. Digital cable technology |
| another company. This is extremely common | | | | also does a better job of providing Internet |
| among satellite TV companies and traditional | | | | access in terms of speed, response time, and |
| phone companies. That's because phone | | | | value. Broad band high speed cable Internet |
| companies are decidedly ill equipped to provide TV | | | | access has about four times the speed that DSL |
| and satellite TV companies are similarly ill equipped | | | | or satellite are capable of and doesn't have the |
| to handle phone services. Neither are particularly | | | | time lag of satellite. A cable based Internet |
| good at providing Internet service either. For | | | | connection is also a much better value than either |
| example, when you sign up for a satellite TV | | | | of the others because, despite its greater speed, |
| service that can theoretically be bundled with a | | | | it doesn't cost any more than the typical DSL |
| home phone calling plan and a high speed Internet | | | | service and only costs about half of the monthly |
| connection, you're probably getting the phone | | | | rate for satellite. |