Best Internet Service Providers For 2012 and Beyond
The best Internet service providers for 2012 all have certain things in common: speed, reliability and good customer service. Sometimes shortened to ISP, an Internet service provider is nothing more than a business or an organization that provides customers access to the world wide web, along with other services.
For all of 2012, the best Internet service providers are shaping up to be the following. Let us take a closer look at each and every one of them.
1. Comcast
The best of all of the high speed Internet providers is Comcast, with a number one rank on the website Top Ten Reviews. It currently enjoys a rating of nearly excellent on said website. Its rank is based on an evaluation of a number of factors, including the connection speed, the service area, the type of e-mail accounts provided and the security software that is offered. Comcast offers customers a choice of either fiber or cable connection, which costs $29.99, and up to 7 e-mail accounts.
2. Time Warner Cable
Among the broadband Internet providers, Time Warner Cable ranks second on Top Ten Reviews, and it provides its customers with a choice between cable or fiber Internet connection. With a customer base of just under 10 million, this Internet service provider every area in the U.S. save for the southeast; it also provides service outside the continental U.S. Its service is capable of providing users with download speeds of up to 105 megabits a second.
3. AT&T
Third on this list of the best Internet service providers of 2012, according to Top Ten Reviews, is AT&T, which offers cable or fiber, DSL or even dial-up. Its price per month for cable or fiber is considerably cheaper than Comcast’s or Time Warner Cable’s because it only charges $19.95 for cable or fiber. It charges $14.95 for DSL and, curiously, $22.95 for dial-up. This Internet service provider offers customers up to 10 e-mail accounts, unlimited e-mail storage and help and support for things like chat, e-mail telephone and even online documentation.
4. Cox
Ranking fourth on Top Ten Reviews, Cox gets high marks for its connection speed, its help and support features and its additional features like software security and e-mail accounts, but it is criticized for its somewhat disappointing service area. To wit, Cox does not provide service beyond the continental U.S., and it only has a customer base of just under 4 million, meaning that it fails to have the greatest service range even inside of the areas it services.
5. Optimum
According to the Top Ten Reviews website, Optimum comes in at number five, and while it does rank close to excellent, like Cox, it is assailable for its limited service area range. It only offers customers cable or fiber Internet connection, and it charges $29.95 for it. Like Cox, its service area does not reach beyond the continental U.S., and it only serves fewer than 4 million people across the U.S. It possesses a customer base of just over 3 million people and only allows customers up to 5 e-mail accounts.
6. Charter
Charter, according to the Top Ten Reviews website, is rated only as very good, which is down one spot from an excellent rating. It only offers Internet service by way of either cable or fiber, and it will cost customers $19.99 per month. The service area of this company is rather limited because it does not provide service outside the continental U.S., and it only provides service to Texas in the southeast portion of the U.S. However, it does provide customers with dedicated lines that can be as fast as 105 megabits per second when downloading.
7. Verizon
With a customer base of almost 4-and-a-half million people in the U.S., Verizon is still rated very good and comes in at seventh on the Top Ten Reviews website list of the best Internet service providers. While it does provide cable or fiber, DSL and dial-up services, it charges quite a bit for a month’s service. For example, one month of cable or fiber access is already $49.99, one month of DSL is $24.99 and one month of dial-up costs $14.99.
The best Internet service providers for 2012 are an assorted lot. Clearly, there are some whose prices and services offer the best deal, and that is why they are ranked at the top of this list. However, there are other factors that play a role in the rankings, too, such as the range of the service area and the number of features.