What does “Internet access,” really mean?
Internet access refers to the method by which your computer connects to the Internet. Access is provided by companies called Internet Service Providers or ISP’s. In addition to connectivity itself, ISP’s also provide a variety of Internet-related services such as email and Web hosting, but Internet access is the main service. Internet access can be generally categorized into two categories:
1.Low Throughput Rate Connections (Low-Speed or Telephone Dial-Up access)
2.High Throughput Rate Connections (High-Speed or Broadband access)

What does “throughput rate” mean?
This is the amount of data transferred from one place to another in a specified amount of time. Since an Internet connection is sending data from a Web site to your computer, how “fast” an Internet connection is, is reflected in its throughput rate. Typically, throughputs are measured in units called Kbps and Mbps.

What are “Kbps and Mbps?”
The “b” stands for “bits per second” and the “K and M” refer to how many bits of data are transferred each second over a connection.
“Kbps” refers to kilobits per second (1,000 bits per second).
“Mbps” refers to megabits per second, (1 million bits per second, or 1,000 Kbps).

Can you further explain “low throughput rate” or “dial-up” access?
A low throughput rate or basic dial-up modem connection is when a computer is connected to the Internet via a modem and a public telephone network. This access is really just like a phone connection, except that the parties at the two ends are computer devices rather than people. Because dial-up access uses public telephone lines, the quality of the connection is not always good and data rates are quite limited.

Even though the modem is 56K, the maximum data rate available with basic dial-up access is 53 Kbps due to FCC regulations. But this rating is under ideal conditions with updated phone connections and close access to major communications switches. In rural areas, where old copper lines are often still utilized and where major telecommunications hubs are not local, data rates are typically less than 30Kbps and often less than 15Kbps. At these low speeds, popular Internet site pages such as MSNBC.com and CNN.com can take 15 to 20 seconds or more to load. Downloads of material that has a lot of data or graphics can take many minutes or sometimes an hour or more. For example, one Midwest farmer told us recently that it took 20 minutes to download a weekly electronic newsletter over his local telephone line. After he subscribed to Agristar Global Networks it took 50 seconds.

What else should I know about “high throughput rate” or “broadband” access?
Unlike low-speed connections over standard telephone connections, there are several methods to obtain high-speed or broadband Internet access. These are:
1.Cable: A cable Internet modem uses the same coaxial cable a cable company uses for TV signals to transmit data. Because coaxial cable provides much greater bandwidth than telephone lines, a cable modem can be used to achieve extremely fast access to the World Wide Web. Cable Internet access is the most popular method of broadband connection in urban areas because of its easy set-up and speeds that are typically the fastest connection a consumer household can achieve today. Downstream connection rates usually range between 1 and 1.5 Mbps. However, cable Internet access is rarely available in areas outside of cities and towns, and thus not an option for farm and ranch operations, rural businesses or others living in a rural area.

2.DSL: Digital subscriber line Internet access is the second-most-popular type of broadband service in the United States. DSL technology uses sophisticated modulation schemes to pack much greater data loads onto existing telephone wires. DSL offers downstream speeds that typically are between 128 Kbps and 512 Kbps for households. A limiting factor of DSL is that performance degrades as the distance between a site and the central DSL office increases. Service generally is unavailable to locations further than 20,000 feet, or about 4 miles, from a central office. It is thus not an option for farm operations.

3.Satellite: Two-way satellite Internet access, which is Agristar Global Networks’ connectivity system, utilizes the same downstream connection frequency that satellite TV broadcasters use. Data is transmitted via geosynchronous satellites orbiting 22,300 miles above the earth. A small microwave transmitter sends information back up on the return channel. Two-way satellite Internet connectivity has been available to consumers since the mid-2001. It is available anywhere in the continental United States, with the only criteria being that there is a clear view of the southern sky from some part of the property near the home or business. Downstream speeds typically range from 400 Kbps to 700 Kbps. The return channel is normally between 30Kbps and 60Kbps. However, because Internet surfing and downloading speed is far more important to most users, and the upstream connection used primarily for sending low-data site requests, Two-way satellite delivery is an excellent and cost-effective Internet solution for rural locations unable to connect via DSL and Cable.