You've seen the TV and print ads leading you to believe your life will be better if you too get high-speed Internet access into your home. And faster appeals to you. Even with modem access bumped up to 56k (56,000 bits per second), you know why the Web is frequently called the World Wide Wait. But you wonder: is it worth paying for this service when you already have an account through your University affiliation?

We've put together information that may help you decide; and, perhaps equally important, set up University discounts for high-speed access. We even have a "What's it really like" story from one of our staff.

The University discounts are available through UMart on the preceding page. You can use the tables on this page to get a quick overview of the differences between the two high-speed offerings, and use UMart's links to go to the vendors' Websites for more details on the services they're offering the University community.

Who's eligible?

Current faculty, staff and students who live in Minnesota can take advantage of the UMart specials. Alumni accounts are not currently eligible.

Why get DSL or cable modem access?

The University discounts offered through UMart are for ipHouse's ISP fees and Comcast's cable modem options. Both high-speed services offer these features:

• Instant gratification: no need to dial up; no busy signals
• Freedom: it's like an electric light; it stays on until you flip the switch
• Stability: dedicated cables/wires mean more reliable service
• Reclaim your phone: when someone's on-line, the phone is not tied up
• More mail boxes for family members or projects
• Speed: enjoy graphic, video and sound resources that are too much trouble to use over a modem

A note about speed: regardless of your connection, your speed can vary depending on Internet and local traffic congestion.

Supported Hardware

The Windows and Macintosh platforms are supported. If you've purchased a new computer within the last 2-3 years, you probably have a powerful enough computer to sign up for high-speed access. The exact system requirements for Comcast High Speed Internet (cable modem) and ipHouse's (DSL) services are listed on each service provider's Web page, which are accessible on the preceding page.

FTP is supported

Both ipHouse's DSL and Comcast's cable modem services support FTP (file transfer protocol), so you can transfer documents to and from the FTP servers to which you have access, such as ones you use to back up files and documents on your personal computer.

DSL service provided by many ISPs

DSL service is provided over phone lines; and the telephone companies that own these lines are known as "common carriers," a status that requires that they share access to their lines. Consequently, there are many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) who can give you access to DSL service.

The University currently has agreements with ipHouse, which is an ISP who can provide DSL Megabit service, to offer discounted rates to University faculty, staff and students.

Currently the University has no plans to meet Qwest's requirements for becoming an ISP for the Megabit DSL service Qwest offers.

Cable modems and ISPs

Your cable provider is also your ISP for cable modem services. (Cable lines don't have the "common carrier" status that telephone lines have.)

The University's role

The University of Minnesota is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that automatically sets up Internet accounts for employees and currently enrolled students. The basic options for University Twin Cities accounts include unlimited access through on-campus Ethernet connections and 50-hours a month of dial-up access through the 56k modem pool served by the telephone number 612-627-4250. These arrangements are subject to change.

FCC Consumer Facts

An additional source of information about high-speed/broadband access is the Federal Communications Commission. Their FCC Consumer Facts - Broadband Access for Consumers publication is available on the Web here.