Is there a science to picking an Internet service provider in San Francisco?

The internet has become part and parcel of our daily lives; an addiction of sorts. Whether we want to shop, socialize, study, transact, read the news, watch movies, listen to music etc, the internet has become a one-stop-shop. Little wonder why the clamor for faster speeds and better up times is at unprecedented levels. According to the Wikipedia, the average speed of American broadband is a whooping 4.93Mbit/s as at June 2011.  Though his may seem quite fast, when put into context, America is still lagging behind as it is ranked as the 26^th in the world with the fastest being South Korea with 17.62Mbit/s.

Though these speeds sound quite impressive, they do not tell the whole story. Internet speeds are usually determined by a set of factors. These factors should be put into consideration when choosing internet San Francisco providers.

Picking Out internet San Francisco providers

Below are some of the questions buyers should ask themselves before settling on an ISP.

How Affordable Is It?

This is the most important factor for most Americans. Nobody in their right mind would want to break the bank for an internet connection. While it would be easy to compare the base prices of different ISPs this is not a great approach as it may be misleading. Shoppers should instead compare the different plans across the board. This means that they should first make their minds up on the kind of plan they require, and only then should they make comparisons based on price from different ISPs. Other costs that may have an impact on the total cost of the package are hidden costs such as set up fees, equipment charges or customer service charges. Buyers should watch out for these.

How Fast Is It?

San Francisco residents have an array of options to pick from. They could opt for; DSL, cable, T1 and others. One thing a buyer ought to remember is that the fastest is not necessarily the best. They should pick a plan that works best for them. Most people pay for speeds they might never use. This is a total waste. Buyers should evaluate their needs in terms of speed before making a choice. Simple tasks such as checking mail may not require the same speed as those of streaming videos.

What Is The ISPs Quality Of Service?

It is important for buyers to find out how reliable the ISP is. They should find out often the ISP users experience down times and how long they last. This information can be sourced from existing customers and online reviews of the service.

How Reliable Is There Customer Service?

It is prudent for buyers to find out whether the technical support is available round the clock in case they had connection problems in the middle of the night. They should also establish the times and modes of communicating with support.

Are there any additional Benefits?

It is also prudent for a keen shopper to establish whether there are any additional perks that accompany the package. These could be in form of a web space and email addresses.

At the end of the day, there is a science to picking the ideal internet San Francisco provider. The above tips should work as a guideline for San Francisco residents who are seeking out a good ISP.