Robert Acosta, President
Helping Hands for the Blind
(818) 998-0044
www.helpinghands4theblind.org
From: dan Thompson [mailto:dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2016 6:24 AM
To: dan Thompson
Subject: How Fast Is Your Internet Connection-Really? Dan's tip for Monday
July 18 2016
Judie and I are back from our week in New York. It was a honey moon taken
43 years late but still very very awesome. In 1973 we hardly had funds to
get food and the very basics of life. However, this made us genuinely
appreciate what came our way via hard work and prayer. It was an experience
difficult to put in words, the reunion of two soul mates. There is the joy
of new marriage. Then came with God's blessing, two beautiful healthy
children, jobs and lots of life's lessons which formed our union as it is
today. This week was a forever treasured experience of reuniting with the
one chosen for life long sharing in love throught good times and bad. There
were tears of joy when looking back and fully recognizing blessing bestowed
upon us as Husband and Wife, Mother and Father and firmly committed
Christian Faith.
God bless each of you on this list and may this day bring peace.
Pondering Question:
If instant oatmeal is instant, then why does it take 1 to 2 minutes to
cook in the microwave?
You can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but why can't you be simply
whelmed?
Fact for today:
Dying is illegal in the Houses of Parliaments - This has been voted as the
most ridiculous law by the British citizens.
testicles on an octopus are located in its head!
If you leave everything to the last minute. it will only take a minute.
How Fast Is Your Internet Connection-Really?
* By Eric Griffith
* PCMag.com
. The speed of your broadband (always-on, high-capacity,
wide-bandwidth) Internet connection has never been more critical. It's the
pipe that connects your computers, tablets, handhelds, even your
entertainment systems and home automation tools, to the outside world-and to
each other. Your connection must handle content that is critical for work,
play, and keeping in touch. It has to back your modern day communications,
from simple text up to voice calls and even video conferencing. And don't
forget gaming: without the Internet, your gaming would be almost entirely
lonely, single-player action. All that requires the best speeds.
. The Internet service providers (or as we call them, ISPs), the
companies that bring the high-speed broadband connections to your door step,
have increased speeds in the last few years-the average US household went
from a speed of 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) in March 2011 to 31Mbps in
September 2014, <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2497278,00.asp>
according to a study by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
measuring broadband.
. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2497278,00.asp
.
. That's the same body that
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2476015,00.asp> re-defined broadband
in 2015 to mean a minimum download speed of 25Mbps -up from the former
defining speed, a measly 4Mbps (they also went from 1Mbps upload to 3Mbps
upload as part of the change).
. <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2476015,00.asp>
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2476015,00.asp
.
. The FCC is also pushing
<http://www.pcmag.com/news/343380/fcc-oks-broadband-subsidy-for-low-income-f
amilies> subsidies for low-income families to get high-speed Internet.
<http://www.pcmag.com/news/343380/fcc-oks-broadband-subsidy-for-low-income-f
amilies>
http://www.pcmag.com/news/343380/fcc-oks-broadband-subsidy-for-low-income-fa
milies
. Obviously the FCC is doing what it can to increase speeds for
everyone,
<https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160122/05203433402/senators-whine-about
-fccs-25-mbps-broadband-standard-insist-nobody-needs-that-much-bandwidth.sht
ml> despite pushback from senators who want to see lower speeds qualify as
broadband-
.
<https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160122/05203433402/senators-whine-about
-fccs-25-mbps-broadband-standard-insist-nobody-needs-that-much-bandwidth.sht
ml>
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160122/05203433402/senators-whine-about-
fccs-25-mbps-broadband-standard-insist-nobody-needs-that-much-bandwidth.shtm
l
.
.
. mostly because it makes the country look bad to have so many
households that don't have Internet that's up to that standard. Competition
is helping even more. Local ISPs (and some unique players, like
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2499831,00.asp> Google) have pushed
the big-name companies to raise speeds while keeping costs affordable.
. <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2499831,00.asp>
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2499831,00.asp
.
. At least one ISP, Verizon FiOS-one of the few
fiber-to-the-home-only players-increased its minimum speed from 25 to
50Mbps. There are entire cities now that can claim they've got
<http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/310861/if-you-want-gigabit-internet-mo
ve-here> gigabit Internet status-ISPs there offer connections of 1 gigabit
per second (Gbps)-that's 1,000 times better than 1Mbps speed, and 40 times
what the FCC even defines as broadband for the United States.
.
<http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/310861/if-you-want-gigabit-internet-mo
ve-here>
http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/310861/if-you-want-gigabit-internet-mov
e-here
.
. They're doing this with a mix of technology, mostly fiber optic
lines (Google tends to use "dark fiber" that is already in place in big
cities but going unused) and in some areas with increased speeds via cable
connections. In fact, with the DOCSIS 3.0 standard that most cable companies
use on their equipment it's entirely possible to have gigabit Internet with
a lot of work; the newer DOCSIS 3.1 standard makes it even easier for cable
providers to make the jump, without as much tinkering. Comcast-the biggest
ISP in the US-has already started
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2498789,00.asp> rolling out DOCSIS 3.1
in select areas.
. <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2498789,00.asp>
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2498789,00.asp
.
.
. The new tech could take speeds as high as
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2479953,00.asp> 2Gbps (don't expect
that without paying a hefty price tag).
. But despite the competition and the claims, the average speeds in
the US are not even close to the averages seen in many other nations. We
typically fall well behind around 120 nations.
. Plus, just because a big-name ISP or even a tiny local provider
says you're getting a certain level of throughput, can you be sure you're
getting what you pay for?
. Every year, PCMag examines the
<http://www.pcmag.com/fastest-isps/> Fastest ISPs in the United States and
Canada with data provided by our readers.
. <http://www.pcmag.com/fastest-isps>
http://www.pcmag.com/fastest-isps
.
. To measure it, we use the industry leading tool: Speedtest. Put
your connection to the test right now-click Begin Test on this page.
.
<http://www.pcmag.com/speedtest?utm_source=et&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=
speedtest-survey>
http://www.pcmag.com/speedtest?utm_source=et&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=s
peedtest-survey
.
. Visit as often as you like. Share it with friends. The more, the
merrier.
. We'll use that data to compare and contrast not only download
speed but also factor in upload speed in a formula we call the PCMag
Internet Speed Index: a quantifiable number that directly pits ISP to ISP.
We'll look at it nationwide, state by state, and in some cases even at the
local level. Either way, should your ISP get enough tests into the mix,
we'll see where it stands.
. So what are you waiting for? Take the Speedtest! Get the
information you need, and provide us with the data to help your fellow PCMag
readers in the future.
. Want a look at recent test results? Read 2015's
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2490651,00.asp> Fastest ISPs in the
U.S.
. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2490651,00.asp
.
. Here's a sampling:
. No ISP shows improvement quite like <https://www.midcocomm.com/>
Midcontinent Communications (Midco). The North Central-U.S.-based ISP is in
its second year as our fastest ISP for the nation with a stunning index of
84.6. That's the kind of number we see in Asian countries, and it's a major
improvement for Midco, which last year had an index of 46.8. If you live in
the Dakotas, Minnesota, or Wisconsin, you need Midcontinent Communications.
Some of its locations already have <http://www.midcogig.com/> Gigabit
service; Midco says Gigabit over cable (using
<http://www.speedtest.net/articles/what-is-docsis/> DOCSIS 3.1 modems) is
coming in some areas areas by 2016.
. https://www.midco.com/
.
. .
Next on the list-and the top "major ISPs" with multi-state services-is the
old stalwart of fiber-to-the home (FttH) deployment in the U.S.,
<http://www.verizon.com/home/fios/> Verizon FiOS.
http://www.verizon.com/home/fios/
This year it once again improved its PCMag Speed Index, shooting up to 42.7
from last year's 32.8. And as noted before, FiOS has made speed improvements
every single year since 2010. (FiOS also remains the top rated ISP with
PCMag readers for its
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0%2c2817%2c2484348%2c00.asp> service and
reliability, having earned our Readers' Choice award this year, and indeed,
every year for a full decade.)
. FiOS is certainly fast, but its lead on the major cable-based
operators is not vast. Comcast-the largest cable company (by revenue) and
therefore largest Internet provider with service in 40 states-isn't always
well loved. But its <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2456278,00.asp>
Xfinity brand for broadband service is undeniably fast, with an index of
38.9. Plus, Xfinity sports a faster average download speed (46.1 Mbps vs.
Verizon FiOS's 42.9). FiOS's almost symmetrical upload speed (41.7 Mbps) is
what keeps its PCMag Speed Index ahead of Xfinity.
.
. You can also read about the Fastest ISPs in
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2496102,00.asp> Canada,
. Fastest ISPs 2015: Canada | PCMag.com
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2496102,00.asp
.
. <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2487795,00.asp> Mexico,
. Fastest ISPs 2015: Mexico | PCMag.com
. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2487795,00.asp
.
. Fastest ISPs 2015: Australia P CMag.com
. and <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2489753,00.asp>
Australia,
. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2489753,00.asp
.
. or about the
<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2496100,00.asp> Best ISPs for Gaming
for 2015.
* http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2496100,00.asp
The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never
fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations
3:22
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