Washington Area Internet Service Providers
For most Internet users, geography still dictates their choice of Internet providers. Although dozens of firms compete in the Washington area -- the chart below is just a small sample of what's available -- you may be able to pick from only a handful of them, depending on where you live. Read More: On the Web Where You Live: Provider Selection Varies by Area.| Provider | Service Area | Available Service Types | E-mail Accounts | Anti-Spam Measures | Parental Controls | Software Provided | Tech Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADELPHIA www.adelphia.com 888-683-1000 | Frederick, Loudoun, Stafford | Dial-up: None Broadband: Cable: 256 kilobits per second each way, $24.95; 4 megabits per second /384 kbps, $42.95 ($54.95 without cable TV) | 2 accounts with $24.95 plan, 7 with $42.95 plan; access via POP, Web-mail | Filtering | Yes | Win 98 or newer, Mac OS 8.1 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| AMERICA ONLINE www.aol.com 800-827-6364 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $23.90 accelerated / unlimited, $14.95 / 10 hrs. (then $2.95/hr.) | 7 accounts, accessible via proprietary software, IMAP, Web-mail | Blacklists, filtering | Yes | Win 95 or newer, Mac OS 8.1 or newer, required | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| AT&T WORLDNET www.att.com 800-222-0300 | Nationwide | Dial-up: 21.95/unlimited ($7 less with AT&T local or long-distance phone service), $16.95/150 hrs. DSL: 1.5 Mbps/128 kbps, $29.95; 3 Mbps/384 kbps, $39.95 | 6 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Filtering | Yes | Win 95 or newer, Mac OS 8.1 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| ATLANTECH ONLINE www.atlantech.net 800-256-1612 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $19/unlimited, $5/5 hrs. (then $1.50/hr.) DSL: 768 kbps/128 kbps, $49 | 1 account with dial-up, 5 with DSL; access via IMAP, POP, Web-mail | Filtering | No | Win 98 or newer, Mac OS 8.5 or newer | 8 a.m-6 p.m.; toll-free |
| CAVALIER TELEPHONE www.cavtel.com 866-290-4200 | Mid-Atlantic states | Dial-up: $34.95/unlimited; includes local phone service DSL: 4 Mbps/1 Mbps, $49.95; includes local phone service | 3 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Yes | No | Win 95 or newer | 8 a.m.-midnight Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; toll-free |
| COMCAST www.comcast.com 888-266-2278 | Washington, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Alexandria, Arlington, Prince William | Cable: 3 Mbps/256 kbps, $42.95 ($57.95 without cable TV) | 7 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Filtering | Yes | Win 98 or newer, Mac OS 9 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| COVAD www.covad.com 800-636-3500 | Nationwide | DSL: 1.5 Mbps/128 kbps, $39.95 | 15 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Yes | No | Win 95 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| COX HIGH-SPEED INTERNET www.cox.com Fairfax: 703-378-8422 Stafford: 540-373-6343 | Fairfax (excluding Reston, parts of Alexandria), Stafford (southern portion, including Fredericksburg) | Cable: 256 kbps each way, $24.95; 4 Mbps/512 kbps, $39.95 ($54.95 without cable TV)' 5 Mbps/768 kbps, $54.95 ($69.95 without cable TV) | 7 accounts, access via POP, Web-mail | Yes | Yes | Win 98 or newer, Mac OS 9 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| DIRECWAY www.direcway.com 866-438-3929 | Continental United States and Puerto Rico; unobstructed view of southern sky required | Satellite: 500 kbps/50 kbps, $59.99 | 5 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Filtering | No | Win 98 SE or newer, Mac OS 9 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| EARTHLINK www.earthlink.net 800-327-8454 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $21.95 accelerated/unlimited DSL: 1.5 Mbps/384 kbps, $39.95; 3 Mbps/384 kbps, $44.95 | 8 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Blacklists, filtering, challenge-response | Yes | Win 98 or newer, Mac OS 7.6 or newer | 24 hrs./ day; toll-free |
| GMP EXPRESS www.gmpcommunications.net 800-427-0705 | Calvert (Chesapeake Beach, North Beach), St. Mary's | Cable: 1.5 Mbps/256 kbps, $39.95 ($49.95 without cable TV service) | 3 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Yes | No | Win 98 or newer | 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. |
| JUNO/NETZERO www.juno.com www.netzero.com Juno: 800-879-5866 NetZero: 800-333-3633 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $14.95 accelerated/unlimited, $9.95/unlimited, free/10 hrs. (subsidized by onscreen ads) | Unlimited accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Filtering | No | Win 95 or newer, Mac OS 8.6-9, Linux, required | 24 hrs./day |
| MILLENNIUM DIGITAL MEDIA www.mdm.net/md/ 410-987-9300 | Anne Arundel (northern portion) | Cable: 256 kbps/128 kbps, $24.95; 3 Mbps/256 kbps, $44.95 ($54.95 without cable TV) | 1 with $24.95 plan, 5 with $44.95 plan; access via IMAP, POP, Web-mail | Blacklists, filtering | No | None | 7 a.m.-midnight, Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., Sun. |
| MSN join.msn.com 800-494-2962 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $21.95 accelerated/unlimited | 11 accounts; access via proprietary software, Web-mail | Filtering | Yes | Win 98 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| SBC YAHOO sbc.yahoo.com 866-722-9246 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $21.95/unlimited | 11 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Filtering | Yes | Win 95 or newer, Mac OS 8.6 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| SPEAKEASY www.speakeasy.net 800-556-5829 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $19.95/150 hrs. DSL: 768 kbps/128 kbps, $39.95; 1.5 Mbps/384 kbps, $49.95 | 1 account with $39.95 plan, 4 with $49.95 plan; access via IMAP, POP, Web | Yes | No | None | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| RCN/STARPOWER www.rcn.com 800-746-4726 | Cable in Washington, Montgomery County, Falls Church; dial-up, nationwide | Dial-up: $19.95 accelerated/unlimited Cable: 7 Mbps/800 kbps, $39.95 ($49.95 without cable TV) | 4 accounts; access via POP, Web-mail | Blacklists, filtering | Yes | Win 95 or newer, Mac OS 8.6 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| TOADNET www.toad.net 877-438-8623 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $21.95/unlimited, acceleration adds $29.95/year DSL: 1.5 Mbps/84 kbps, $54.95 | 7 accounts; access via IMAP, POP, Web-mail | Filtering | No | Win 95 or newer | 24 hrs./day; toll-free |
| VERIZON ONLINE www.verizon.net 800-742-5375 | Nationwide | Dial-up: $19.95/150 hours, $22.95/unlimited DSL: 1.5 Mbps/128 kbps, $29.95 ($37.95 without Verizon local and long-distance service) | 1 account with $19.95 dial-up, 4 with $22.95 dial-up, 9 with DSL; access via POP, Web-mail | Blacklists, filtering | Yes | Win 98 or newer, Mac OS X 10.1 or newer | 24 hrs./ day; toll-free |
| NOTES: This is a sampling of Internet service providers in the Washington Area, not a complete directory of them. Service areas cited are only approximate: DSL availability, in particular, can vary widely within any given area. We list only price plans under $55 a month (or $60, in the case of satellite service). Dial-up rates are month to month, while most broadband plans require a yearly commitment. Speeds listed for broadband plans are for downloads, then uploads. WE don't list any installation, setup or hardware-purchase costs. "Accelerated" means Web-acceleration software is included in a dial-up package. Among anti-spam measure, "blacklists" means the provider refuses to accept any e-mail from suspected sources of spam: this may result in some legitimate messages being rejected. "Filtering" simply means automated screening of the content of incoming e-mail, such as its subject lines. "Challenge-response" screening requires unknown senders to authenticate themselves by passing a simple test online. | |||||||
The Washington Post
