December 16, 2003
DSL in America
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I really had had no idea how slow DSL in the U.S. was until coming back here and checking it out. Normal plans provide only a half-megabit to 1.5 Mb service for $27 (2900 yen) per month; the cheapest "expert" package is for 6 Mb, and costs $99 (about 11,000 yen) per month. These prices do not include the extra charges and fees for starting up an account.
Contrast that with Japan, where the old 1.5-8-12 Mb plan layout is now outdated. When I went to sign up for my new service, I had a choice between the 26 Mb and 40 Mb plans, both priced at 3828 yen ($35) per month. There is a 4000 yen ($37) initial fee, but you also get 3 months free service under the current promotion, and such promotions are common.
But if that is not enough, then you might be eligible for a fiber optic account (100 Mb, about $100 per month) or, in more limited areas, vDSL, which has near-lossless 24 Mb service (I don't know the cost off-hand).
