Re: [tlug] Broadband Options?

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

>>>>> "Josh" == Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com> writes:

    Josh> PPPoE ... RUN AWAY!  RUN AWAY!

Eh, works like a charm on my Mac.

    Josh> Poking through the archives, I have found the following
    Josh> providers of broadband:

Actually as far as I know, the first two don't own any media (unless
fusiongol = Fusion + GOL, in which case GOL has merged with a phone
co) and thus don't provide broadband.  They may resell it, but the
actual providers are the phone, cable TV, and electric companies, as
usual.

FLETS is the NTT (National 'Tortion and Taxation? no, the phone co)
ADSL, B-FLETS is fiber optic (relatively expensive).  KDDI (former
national international phone monopoly), cable TV companies, and Tokyo
Electric all offer broadband.

I didn't investigate any of this carefully, you understand.  Please do
get a job quickly, your tax yen end up in my bank account (some of
them, anyway :-P ).

    Josh> 1. Lack of contract

Just don't sign up for a bank debit, then you can quit any time.

    Josh> 2. Price (the lower, the better, obviously)

FLETS-40 + OCN (the ISP associated with the fastest install when I
signed up in December, I don't use their services at all) runs me
about 4000 yen/month.  AFAIK cable and fiber optic have one speed each
(about 5 Mbps and 100 Mbps resp.), while ADSL comes in a range of
speeds from about 1 Mbps to 50 MBps.  All numbers are nominal, fiber
probably is reasonably close, cable depends on congestion, ADSL
depends on congestion and distance from the switching office, but you
won't get a price break, you pay on the nominal speed.

Pricing can be complex; I pay in three separate bits for my service,
two of which show up on my phone bill.

I think cable is generally cheapest if you're going to get cable TV
anyway.

    Josh> 3. Reliability

This is Japan, famous for the reliability of its *exports*.  Good luck!

    Josh> 4. Speed

See above.  What you really want to do is find an apartment less than
100m from your broadband provider's office.  :-)

    Josh> * Which I would only consider if Brett comes out and does
    Josh> the install personally! ;)

Who do you expect to pay for the pizza and beer?



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