| Company | Coverage Area | Price | Additional Services |
Direcway
www.getdway.com
866-438-3929
Total users: 160,000
Years in Service: 7
Updated: Jan. 21, 2003 | Continental United States and Puerto Rico (unobstructed view of southern sky required) | Satellite: 500 kbps/50 kbps, $59.99 | E-mail Services:
No. of accounts included: 5
Junk mail filter: Y (blacklists)
Virus Scanning: Y
Access: POP
Tech Support: 24 hrs./day; toll-free
Parental Controls: N
Software: Win 98 SE or newer, required
Web server space: 10 MB |
| Direcway Company Quote: "Direcway is a satellite-based, high-speed Internet solution available anywhere in the continental U.S. Direcway gives you a super-fast, always-on Internet connection that lets you surf and download files in a fraction of the time it takes with a dial-up modem." |
EarthLink
www.earthlink.net
800-327-8454
Total users: 4.8 million
Years in Service: 8
Updated: Jan. 21, 2003 | Greater Washington area, plus 48 states and Canada. International roaming available at extra cost. | Modem: $21.95/unlimited, $26.95/unlimited. DSL: 768 kbps-1.5 Mbps/128 kbps, $49.95 (20 hrs. dial-up access included). Satellite: 400 kbps/60 kbps, $69.95 (20 hrs. dial-up access included) | E-mail Services:
No. of accounts included: 8 (10 w/ $26.95 plan)
Junk mail filter: Y (Brightmail, blacklists)
Virus Scanning: N
Access: POP, IMAP, Web-mail
Tech Support: 24 hrs./day; toll-free
Parental Controls: Y
Software: Win 98 or newer, Mac OS 7.6 or newer; firewall available
Web server space: 80 MB (100 MB w/ $26.95 plan) |
| Earthlink Company Quote: "With Pop-Up Blocker, spaminator and other tools to improve and protect your Internet experience, EarthLink has received top industry awards from J.D. Power & Associates, CNET and other leaders. EarthLink has the largest high-speed footprint of any ISP." |
NetStorm Internet Services
www.netstorm.net
888-221-2307
Frederick, Md.
Total users: 4,000
Years in Service: 5
Updated: Jan. 21, 2003 | Greater Washington area, plus 48 states and Canada | Modem: $12.95/unlimited, $15.95/unlimited, $19.95/unlimited, $21.95/unlimited. Satellite: 200-400 kbps/33.6 kbps phone upload, $39.95-$79.95, depending on monthly download quota | E-mail Services:
No. of accounts included: 1 w/ $12.95 plan, 3 w/ $15.95 plan, 5 w/ other plans, otherwise $2 each
Junk mail filter: Y ($1.50 extra except for $21.95 and satellite plans)
Virus Scanning: Y ($1 extra except for $21.95 and satellite plans)
Access: POP, Web-mail
Tech Support: 24 hrs./day; toll-free
Parental Controls: Y
Software: Win 95 or newer, Mac OS 7 or newer
Web server space: 5 MB w/ $12.95, $15.95 plans, 10 MB w/ others |
| NetStorm Company Quote: "We are a family-owned, family-run business that prides itself on being family-friendly. We have no such client as too small or too big." |
StarBand
www.starband.com
800-478-2722
Total users: 40,000
Years in Service: 2
Updated: Jan. 21, 2003 | Entire area, subject to clear view of southern sky | Satellite: 500 kbps/40 kbps, $69.99 | E-mail Services:
No. of accounts included: 10
Junk mail filter: Y (blacklists)
Virus Scanning: N
Access: POP, Web-mail
Tech Support: 8 a.m.-11 p.m. every day; toll-free
Parental Controls: N
Software: Win 98 or newer, required
Web server space: 10 MB |
| StarBand Company Quote: "StarBand is the first always-on, two-way satellite Internet service for virtually everyone, everywhere in the U.S. If you can see the southern sky, and 9 out of 10 homes can, you can get StarBand. Plans available for small businesses too." |
