I guess I got spoiled when I lived in Brooklyn and had a fairly fast internet connection using Cablevision’s Optimium Online Boost service. It delivered 30 megs down and 5 megs up (link).
When I moved to San Francisco I expected something even better, but instead was only able to signup with Comcast’s 6 megs down / 768K up service.
So when Comcast upped the offering ( for an additional $10/month ) to 15 Mbps / 2 Mbps I signed up. And according to this speedtest I’m getting pretty close to what I should be seeing:
Hopefully we’ll catch up soon with countries like South Korea that offer 100Mbps connections at half the cost – we rank #14th currently. I also hear Verizon Fios will be available in my area soon — and offers 25Mbps up/down. AT&T is also expected to up their DSL offering. And lastly I could choose my next apartment based on where web-pass is setup – they offer 45 megabit synchronous connections at select apartment complexes in SF 
My upload speed sucked when I was in SF, but download was pretty sweet — http://barry.wordpress.com/2006/12/23/super-speedy-internet/ In NYC I get 10Mbit down and 512k up, but its like $20/month cheaper. Go figure.
ya, the pricing is all over the place.
Will be interesting to see with wireless services rolling out if that will impact the cable/phone companies.
And here I sit on a 512KB down 128KB up connection.
You might be interested to read about what I think is the world’s first commercial implementation of WiMAX broadband. Wireless tech like this is so important for Australia due to it’s sparse population in remote areas.
http://www.internode.on.net/news/2008/01/71.php
@sam — ouch ! hard to even call that broadband — closer to my old dual ISDN 128K connection in 1995
Big hopes for WiMAX — could be a real game changer for rural areas as you said.
And by the way — can’t you at least get satellite for the download piece ?
I can get (and am in the process of getting) ADSL2+ (up to 24Mb/s down)
I was just waiting for the right product that didn’t require an existing phone line.
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