Recognizing that they knew far more about the television business than the Internet, leading cable TV companies pooled their resources a few years ago to create Internet service providers (ISPs) that can offer cable modem services.
The largest cable ISP was @Home, which ceased operations on February 28, 2002. Another ISP, Road Runner, was created by Time Warner Cable and MediaOne, which AT&T purchased in 2000.
Cable companies serving 80% of all North American households signed exclusive service agreements with @Home or Road Runner. The fallout of the @Home bankruptcy is ongoing and the future of cable modem ISPs is unclear. AOL and Microsoft are both eyeing this field and could be big players in the future.
How It Works
Cable modem service is offered through a partnership between the ISP and your local cable company. Typically, you'll be charged for broadband service on your cable bill, rather than paying the ISP directly. Whether this will continue to be the case is unclear.
Your cable company is responsible for installing the cable modem and maintaining the quality of your service over the local cable network. At the main network office -- commonly referred to as the "headend" -- you're connected to the cable ISP's national backbone. It, in turn, is linked to the Internet.
If your cable modem service runs into a problem, you're best advised to call the cable company. A technican will probably be dispatched to your household if there's a cable network problem. If there's an ISP problem, the cable company will route your call to a technical support center to try to resolve the issue.
If you want to subscribe to cable modem service, your cable company will require you to use Road Runner or another ISP of its choosing. You'll still be able to link up with another ISP, such as America Online, but it may cost extra.
Want to learn more about cable ISPs?
Read on ...
To find out which ISP is affiliated with your local cable company, visit our Service Availability page.
Tuesday 21 April 2009
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