There May Be Cable Modem Service Near You
The big problem with cable modem service, of course, is that it’s not available in most places. That will change over the next few years, though you should beware of promises about services “coming soon,” because they often arrive much more slowly than predicted. Here’s a rundown of who’s offering cable modem service in Southern California:
* Cox Cable has been perhaps the most aggressive of all the local companies and now offers cable modem service in much of San Diego and southern Orange County. Cox charges $44.95 a month with a $149 installation charge, which includes the modem and the necessary Ethernet card.
* Comcast, which uses the @Home Network, now offers service in Buena Park and western Fullerton. The company plans to expand to eastern Fullerton, Placentia, Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Santa Ana between now and the middle of 1998.
* MediaOne (https://www.mediaone.com) is rolling out service in Westchester and Culver City (ZIP Codes 90230 and 90232). Cable TV customers pay $39.95 a month for 1.5 megabits downstream and 300 kilobits per second upstream service, which includes the cable modem rental.
Installation is $99 plus an additional $49 if you need an Ethernet card. The company plans to offer the service to all of its subscribers within two years.
* Charter Communications has rolled out two-way service in Pasadena. Prices start at $35 a month for 256 Kbps downstream and 56K upstream, plus $14.95 a month to lease the modem. For $60 a month customers get 512 Kbps downstream and 128K upstream. Charter Communications customers in Riverside can subscribe to a one-way hybrid system that sends data to your PC at 400 Kbps but requires a standard modem and a phone line to send data to the service. The service is offered in conjunction with Earthlink, an Internet service provider.
* GTE WorldWind Service is available in Thousand Oaks, Conejo and Newbury Park for GTE Americas cable customers. There’s a one-time activation charge of $54.95, a $19.95-a-month modem rental charge and two service levels: $29.95 for 64 Kbps and $44.95 for 128 Kbps. Customers have to provide their own Ethernet cards.
