Determining which Internet service provider most closely fits your needs can be both confusing and frustrating. We at CIT Broadband understand this and would like to help make the decision process easier for you. We have provided this brief evaluation of several key factors to consider before making your decision.

There are currently 5 primary methods that High-Speed or Broadband Internet service can be delivered to your home:

1. DSL runs over the phone lines that come into your home. You can use the phone and the internet at the same time, in fact the phone and DSL service can be provided by different companies in some cases, but run on the same physical wire. Has a reputation for stability and speed.
2. Fixed Wireless, or Broadband Wireless as it's sometimes called, differs significantly from Satellite in that the data only has to travel from the home or business to a tower that is within a few miles. Therefore the speed is similar to that of any "wired" technology. It is most commonly used in areas that do not have wire technology available such as rural or semi-rural areas, or in business applications where high.
3. Cable is provided over coaxial cable from the cable providers. Many cable companies require you to purchase their other services to get internet. While they offer good speed and cheap prices, they have a reputation for lower reliability than most services, although higher than satellite.
4. Satellite is not well suited to interactive data applications such as Internet due to the excessive delay it takes for the data to travel to space and back. It also has a high cost of installation, sometimes as high as $700.00 to $ 800.00. Susceptibility to weather interference makes reliability an issue for many people.
5. Fiber Optics has the highest speed capacity, but is by far the most expensive, especially if the streets need to be trenched and fiber buried. It is available in very limited areas and typically requires buying bundled packages from the provider that can add to costs availability or large bandwidth packages are needed.

The most common in residential markets are DSL, Cable, and Fixed Wireless. The real differences come from the companies and people that operate and support the customers on their network. CIT Broadband offers DSL and Fixed Wireless in both residential and business packages.

Comparing prices between Internet providers can be confusing and misleading. While price is important, don’t choose an ISP based solely on the amount that it charges or you may be disappointed when you cannot get online or get help. In choosing an ISP you should not underestimate the importance of the quality of service and the availability of good support. When making the comparison keep in mind that many prices advertised for Internet service do not include all the charges for the service. Many add charges for equipment rental, franchise fees, and “other”, etc. Another common tactic is to advertise the discounted price that requires subscription to another service such as TV, phone service, or long distance. Many of the large telephone and cable companies advertise use “bait and switch” low prices that are only good for a promotional period such as one month, 3 months, etc. then they increase your billing rate to the “real” price.

CIT Broadband’s quoted prices include all applicable regulatory fees and taxes. We do not add any additional charges. We also offer a 30 day money back guarantee, translating into a risk free decision.

The speed of a Broadband Internet service is a very important aspect of the service; however, it can be over-emphasized in choosing an Internet provider. A car that has a top speed of 200 MPH is probably not better than a car that tops out at 100 MPH if you need it to drive around town. More important aspects might include comfort, safety, reliability, etc. Typical web pages average around 100KB to 150KB, which take about 20 seconds to load over a dialup Internet connection. Using a Broadband Internet service running at 1Mbps would cut the time to download the average page to just over 1 second. That’s a dramatic difference and changes the Internet experience from barely tolerable to something useful. However, changing the speed of the Internet connection from 1Mbps to 3Mbps only cuts the download time to a little under a half a second, a change that’s hardly noticeable. In addition, just as we have speed limits on our roads, Internet servers limit the speed any single user can get from their server/site. So even though you may have an internet connection that can go 3Mbps, the sites you use on the internet typically only allow 1Mbps.

What about guaranteed speed? You should question any Broadband sales representative who says “our speeds are guaranteed". Just as the streets and highways we use are shared, the Internet is a shared network and as such the speed you experience at any time can vary due to numerous factors. Although it would be nice, it wouldn't make economic sense for you to have your own, private highway between your house and workplace. Also, that private highway wouldn’t make any difference if your car broke down. For the same reason, it is difficult for an Internet service provider to offer an in-expensive Internet service with a bulletproof speed guarantee. However, some providers will make guarantees, although somewhat meaningless, in an effort to differentiate themselves. An example is they will guarantee the speed between your house and the local phone company central office. This doesn't mean much when sending an email file to a friend across the country. Be sure to ask what exactly the guarantee entails, how is it measured, what are the remedies if the guarantee is not met, and request the guarantee be put in writing.

CIT Broadband’s standard service offerings have speeds up to 1.5Mbps on wireless systems, the download equivalent of a T-1 line from the phone company. This is 30 times faster than dialup, and more than enough speed for all but the most extreme applications. We offer speeds up to 6.00Mbps on DSL connections, although we rarely recommend over 3.0 for all but the most extreme users.

Our statistics show that over 90% of the problems users experience while using the Internet are not problems with the Internet provider, but are actually caused by something in the customer’s control such as their PC, Local Network, or firewall. When these issues occur it is important to be able to call a courteous and knowledgeable support person who can quickly help you troubleshoot the problem and get it resolved.

CIT Broadband.com provides accessible, knowledgeable customer support. Our support team consists of all local people focused on supporting Internet applications. We begin with a more complete install, followed by a Quality Assurance Program. This program consists of various aspects including assisting the customer with setting up email accounts, explaining basic connection troubleshooting, follow up calls, and random inspections of our installations by our management team to insure consistent quality.

Generally speaking any Internet service is not going to be as reliable as your local phone service. The current phone network has been around for over 100 years and has not changed much in the last 50 years. Federal and local taxes have funded much of the cost to make the public phone network more reliable. The Internet on the other hand, has only been around for about 20 years, and continues to undergo rapid growth and change. It is also being built by for profit businesses without government subsidization.

The reliability of the network of any Internet Service Provider that has been in business for at least a few years is usually going to be very good. The equipment within their network is designed for reliability, not lowest cost. Well over 90% of the problems with an Internet connection will occur at the customer location. For this reason, the most important factors affecting reliability are how quickly can the Internet Provider diagnose where the problem exists and how quickly can they get someone to the customer location to make the repair if required.

Basically, customer support is a key component of reliability. CIT Broadband wants customer support to be a differentiating element between themselves and other High Speed Internet providers. We appreciate every customer! If a customer is not completely satisfied with the first 30 days of service we will refund all of their money.

Most Internet Service Providers put tight limitations on the size of the email attachment you can send or receive. They also provide relatively small mailboxes, typically 10MB or less. E-mail is the most widely used Internet application and probably the most important. You don’t want to hassle with emails that didn’t go through because your mailbox is full or an attachment was too big.

CIT allows email attachments as large as 20MB and our mailbox size is 40MB – at least double most other providers.

There has been much press recently about the security issues of Wireless LAN technology known as 802.11b or Wi-fi. It is true that if the user uses the default settings with most Wi-Fi products it is very easy for an outsider to get onto the network. However, simply changing a few settings can make the network very secure. Most Broadband wireless systems, including CIT’s, utilize methods and systems that block unauthorized access to their network. It is probably easier to tap into your phone line outside your home or business than hack the wireless system.

Many discussions of Internet security focus on all the technology and systems involved and not the people involved. Talk focuses on how long it would take a hacker to crack the encryption or the weaknesses in a firewall. For 99% of the public, the more important aspect is that of the actions and habits of the user. A sophisticated burglar alarm system isn’t much good if an employee forgets to set it before leaving at night.

Our experience in supporting many customers over the past few years has been that 99.99% of the security related issues occur due to basic precautions not being taken by the customer, such as improper configuration of devices installed by the client. For more information on security related issues, go to citbroadband.com and look in the support area for most common issues relating to internet security.

We appreciate you taking time to learn more about High Speed Internet and hope that this report has answered many of your questions. Again, thank you and please feel free to contact us at 817-270-0354 with any additional questions. Information about our company, services, coverage area, and online signup can be found at www.citbroadband.com

We at CIT Broadband recognize that the internet is a window to the world. The internet brings an incredible amount of knowledge and information into your life. Some things out there are not good for your family to see and hear. We want to help by providing you with the information you need to protect your family.

Please get our Free Special Report on protecting your family online written by Former Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI, Danny O. Coulson exclusively for CIT Broadband.

Mr. Coulson is creator and former commander of the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, and author of “No Heroes, Inside the FBI’s Secret Counter Terror Force”

The following is from the Free Special Report on protecting your family online

“We live in an age of wonder that is partly powered by the Internet. It is now possible to explore new worlds with the click of mouse and we can do research in minutes that in days gone by would have taken weeks. All technology brings progress and new opportunities, but along with it comes potential peril. This same principle applies to the Internet. It is a source of knowledge and instant communication, but it has to be used properly in order protect our children. Here are some thoughts for you and your family to consider….”


Get the full report at www.citbroadband.com/report-protectingyourfamily