CONNECTING to the Internet at home has for the most part been a painful exercise. Whether suffering with a dial-up copper cable modem, waiting for the technicians to install an ASDL line or weeping over the dismal bandwidth on previous wireless Internet services, the experience was always — at some level — excruciating.

So it was with trepidation that I approached the iBurst wireless Internet service … and to my great surprise discovered that, for the most part, it delivered its promise of broadband connectivity.

Connecting to the service was as simple as installing the modem (a PCI card is available for laptop users), following the instructions, and registering with the helpdesk. No wires, no waiting, no fuss; although getting hold of the helpdesk was a long wait (though I was constantly being reassured that my call was important).

The speed (oh the beautiful speed) of the service is something home users have only previously experienced at the dead of night. Websites load extremely fast, downloads roar and there is no annoying distinction between local and international traffic.

The downside is that when you hit your download cap (yes the service is capped) all traffic is slow, not just international.

The service also includes ISP services in the price, offering the same spread as the big ISPs (email, virus scanning, security etc).

So, despite all the bragging about home broadband access, iBurst is the first real Internet offering that can wear the badge with pride — offering the quickest rollout and impressive speeds. Two thumbs up!

Source: Sunday Times 2005/08/07
By Jason Krupp