Right now, most of our homes are connected to the outside world in a number of ways. We have telephones, televisions, and Internet service. These traditional technologies have served us well. In fact, your home is probably using some of these services right now...

Traditional Telephone Technology Types:

Wired Telephones
• Traditional telephone -- “POTS” (Plain Old Telephone System)
• Cordless telephone

Wireless Telephones
• Cell phones

Traditional Television Technology Types:

Analog Cable
• With a set-top box
• Without a set-top box

DBS Satellite
• DirecTV
• Dish Network

Traditional Internet Technology Types:

Phone-line-based Systems
• 56k Dial-up
• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

Cable-based Systems
• Cable modem

 

What Connects Your Home to the Service Provider 

The traditional technologies, and the new technologies, both rely on some of the same conduits to transmit signals to and from your home. These include:

Copper Wire -- Twisted pair (traditional “POTS” system)

Coaxial Cable -- Regular cable

Fiber Optic Cable -- Faster transmission speeds than other systems

Hybrid -- Fiber optic cable in the main provider network connected to regular coaxial cable to your home

Radio Signals -- Satellite television, and wireless devices: cellular telephones, broadband wireless mobile cards, and mobile wireless PDA phones

 

Connecting Your Home

In today’s ever-evolving marketplace for telephone, video (TV), and Internet services, there are now multiple devices and ways that connect residents in the County to these services.  Because there are so many options, choosing a technology and service provider that is the best fit for one’s specific needs can be difficult. 

The Department of Cable and Consumer Services along with the Consumer Protection Commission, would like to help you understand these new offerings so that you can make informed choices for your telephone, television and Internet services.

We hope the webpages below will give you some of the information you need to make informed choices about how to navigate today’s complicated communications landscape and end up with the telephone, video and Internet services that work best for you. 

Also, please note that our department gives you the opportunity to participate in free events that are designed to educate you about many of these technologies and services.

Additional Information

Tips for Buying a New TV (FAQ)