View Poll Results: Is Dial-up set to dry-out?

Voters
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  • Yes, very soon

    16 34.04%
  • Not for the foreseeable future

    10 21.28%
  • Not until broadband prices drop significantly

    15 31.91%
  • Yes, but broadband needs a breakthrough

    6 12.77%
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    Manchester, UK
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    2,132

    Arrow Is Dial-Up ready to dry-up?

    Hello,

    It has finally happened; "The number of broadband connections in the UK has exceeded dial-up usage for the first time."

    BT figures show that there are now more than 7.4 million broadband users, with two million using cable and 5.4 on DSL.
    The full article can be found here

    However, i'm not sure whether 'connections' implies usage or physical phone lines. However, it is nevertheless an exciting and somewhat inevitable trend.

    I believe in 10 years very few people if any will still be using dial-up. Heck! - Very few people may be using broadband!

    Regards,

    Jord
    Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
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    2,455
    This should be a multiple options. Firstly the price needs to drop before the "home joe" purchases it. The main marketing I can see there is the ability to talk on the phone while surfing the Internet.

    But the fact the remains is that broadband is not available in a large portion of the Midwest of the US and other "small rural areas". A new technology would have to be found, and applied in order for broadband to get access to them.
    Tyler Cole
    Eeek, a Blog

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    7,029
    I think that the dial up will be around for a long time (5 to 10 years) unless the prices of dial up and other faster connections drop in price a lot. People just do not want to pay more money. I can see the market for dial up go smaller, but I do not see it just going away... unless DSL or other products are as cheap as dial up.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Miami, FL
    Posts
    3,262
    Dialup will never die, it's extremly reliable. During the Hurricanes, my power went out, but my telephone didn't (and neither did my DSL).. but what if I had cable? I could at least dialup w/ my laptop!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    chica go go
    Posts
    11,876
    I'm still on dialup.


    looking to get dsl soon though

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Castle Pines, CO
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    7,189
    I do not think so - at least I hope not. I have dial up at home as a back up in case the cable is out.

    I pay $19.95 a month - sure it might be a little expensive since I never use it but I consider it insurance and I am very happy to have it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    7,029
    Originally posted by coreybryant
    I do not think so - at least I hope not. I have dial up at home as a back up in case the cable is out.

    I pay $19.95 a month - sure it might be a little expensive since I never use it but I consider it insurance and I am very happy to have it.
    Well I have DSL on this computer and dial up on the other computer. I figure it is costing more, but well worth it. DSL here went out a couple of times (for hours), and I was saved because I had dial up for back up.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Albany, New York
    Posts
    3,026
    I'm only on dialup becuase I cant get DSL and cable isnt run to my house

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Los Angeles,CA
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    789
    Originally posted by coreybryant
    I do not think so - at least I hope not. I have dial up at home as a back up in case the cable is out.

    I pay $19.95 a month - sure it might be a little expensive since I never use it but I consider it insurance and I am very happy to have it.
    Get get NetZero or NetScape internet for $9.99 its half the cost and quite reliable. I used NetZero for a while before getting DSL and the service is pretty good. Also NetScape is owned by AOL so you are are still connecting to the same dail-up servers as AOL users. NetScape internet is a 'slimed down' service offered by AOL to compete agianst NetZero.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Proud She-Geek
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    1,723
    Originally posted by E_man3
    Get get NetZero or NetScape internet for $9.99 its half the cost and quite reliable. I used NetZero for a while before getting DSL and the service is pretty good. Also NetScape is owned by AOL so you are are still connecting to the same dail-up servers as AOL users. NetScape internet is a 'slimed down' service offered by AOL to compete agianst NetZero.
    Shoot, NetZero offers accounts with 10 hours of dialup access for free. If you don't need to be on your computer 24/7 it's not a bad thing to have at all for backups.

    And even out here in the sticks NetZero has pretty good speeds.
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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Texas
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    7,954
    Until highspeed becomes cheap and available everywhere dial-up will still exists. There are too many companies offering dial-up will still exist.

    Just ask how many members here have a cheap dial-up as back for thier highspeed access. Now that computere are getting cheaper I think we will see a growth of lower income users going to the we.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    England
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    1,200
    I think that the price of broadband must first drop.
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  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Manchester, UK
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    2,132
    I'm simply amazed to be honest that so many people are still i dial-up. I switched to broadband the month it was released on the public market and have never looked back.
    Mind you, I realise there are cost implications.
    Unlike the US 95.4% of the country can get broadband (the same proportion that has running water).
    Now, I think I take the speed of broadband for granted, when I click on a link, I have the website normally within 2 seconds.
    I could never wait the '30 seconds' it took dial-up opr whatever.

    Jord
    Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    374
    Dial-up will never die. My father refuses to leave it.
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  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    674
    It isn't just the price. Broadband here (UK) can be as cheap as dialup almost, £2-5 a month more. It's availability. It won't matter if it's free if the broadband companies can't bring their services to everyone. Seeing as the main reason that outlying areas don't often get broadband is because fo the cost involved and how people want costs cheaper I don't see this being resolved quickly.

  16. #16
    Some folks have no choice but to use dial up. I live in the sticks and it is the only option -- we have no cable and last I checked, the phone company didn't even know what DSL was ;-) We do have a satellite dish, but no WAY am I paying for internet access through it.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Maybe on some parts of the World. But i think it will take long here in our Country.
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  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    Manchester, UK
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    Okay in that case let me divert the topic slightly.

    Where do you live?

    and:

    Do you have broadband?
    Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

  19. #19
    I am in upstate NY, US. Mentioning broadband to my phone carrier in the same conversation as DSL would probably fry ther poor brains. I am hoping they upgrade the system soon but right now it is not much more than tin cans and shoestrings.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Manchester, UK
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    Originally posted by rhf133
    I am in upstate NY, US. Mentioning broadband to my phone carrier in the same conversation as DSL would probably fry ther poor brains. I am hoping they upgrade the system soon but right now it is not much more than tin cans and shoestrings.
    Wow, whats your bandwidth - 500 vibrations a month?
    Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
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    .INdiana
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    2,465
    the lack of modems on new computers will be a factor

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
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    1,653
    Working at an ISP that offers SDSL & Dialup, I can safely say dialup will last for a while yet. Many people don't want to pay the extra costs of a broadband connection, and many people simply do not use the internet enough to justify a broadband connection.

    And you will always have people that live out in the country that want internet but are unwilling to pay the high costs of satalite internet.
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  23. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Reading, England
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    4,240
    Many people don't want to pay the extra costs of a broadband connection, and many people simply do not use the internet enough to justify a broadband connection.
    ADSL in the UK is actually cheaper than getting an "Unlimited Hours" dial up account now so it doesn't make sense for even light internet users to stay on dial up internet. A few hours of day time use over the month and you will of paid more in call charges than paying for an entire month or ADSL.

    I used to use Dial-Up only when I was out of the office or on holiday if something was urgent. Now it seems more or less everywhere has wireless hotspots or wired connections.
    Steve

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Fort Worth, TX
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    2,586
    I think dial-up will be active atleast in the U.S for quite some time, unless the government places down a law saying you can't. I know a bunch of people who access the internet, and just do not care about speed. They get on.. check Emails.. check ebay.com and jump off..
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  25. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Washington Metro Area
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    40
    I think dial-up will be obsolete very soon. What will replace it? Three options come to mind. First there is wireless access. Pretty soon wireless access will be available in all locations. Companies like Verizon are already offering this in certain cities. Second, as cell phones advance in technology data lines will easily allow them to connect their laptop or home computer directly to the Internet (100-150 kbps and up). Third there is good old ADSL and Cable. These prices will go down and soon these companies will be forced to bundle services as the only option (Comcast, Bellsouth, and so forth), it will be very inexpensive, and dial-up will not be worth it for the providers to provide. When they phase it out people will upgrade (Just like 14.4 modems ).

    Just my $.02

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