How to Find a Provider Near You By Kim Wimpsett (11/28/00) Ticktock. T...i...c...k. T...o...c...k. Ahh, the sound of the minutes wasting away as you wait for another Web page to download. Looking for a cable access provider near you? Click the map below.

If you've finally decided to free yourself from the agony of waiting and chuck your 56-kbps modem for a cable modem, you'll be able to surf the Internet at speeds of up to 5 mbps--mega-times faster than your dial-up connection. But you can't just run out and buy a cable modem and expect to jet off into cyberspace. You also need to find a cable provider in your area that offers Internet access, and that's not always easy. Although almost 44 million homes in the United States and Canada are technically equipped to receive cable Internet service, many local cable companies don't provide it.

In fact, most local companies that provide high-speed Internet access do so through a partnership with a national Internet service provider (ISP) such as AT&T@Home. The ISP provides the national backbone that is connected to the Internet, as well as any proprietary content and software it offers as part of the service. Your local cable company then installs the proper hardware and connects to the ISP's backbone from its central office. The local provider usually provides basic setup support and bills you for the service, but the national ISP generally provides most long-term technical support.

If you're looking for cable Internet access, you have your work cut out for you, but we'll lend a hand. In this guide, we'll help you find out whether your local cable company offers Internet access, how much it costs, and how to get it. Just click your home state on the map below to begin. (Note: Because there are so many possible cable providers worldwide, we were forced to limit the scope of this guide to cable providers in the United States.)

What Is Cable Access?
Confused about cable? Not sure how it works? Find out everything you ever wanted to know about cable Internet access. Or weigh the pros and cons of cable access compared with DSL in our comprehensive feature, "DSL vs. Cable."

Kim Wimpsett is a freelance writer who surfs with style from San Francisco, California. Got a comment for her? Tell us!

 

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