High-Speed Internet Without Landline Telephone Service

Cable high-speed Internet service uses the coaxial cables in a home that carry data to its televisions. The cables connect to a modem, which in turn connects to the user's computer. DSL service uses the telephone wiring in a home. Standard DSL does require landline service, but some companies also offer freestanding DSL, which transmits data over telephone lines without needing telephone service. Users who have telephone wiring in their homes but do not have phone service may be able to subscribe to freestanding DSL, depending on their location.

Fiber optic Internet service uses thin, flexible wires made of glass filaments to send data to a user's computer. Some companies run the wires directly into users' homes, and others run them to outside nodes, which link to all the subscribing homes or businesses on a street. Data travels through fiber optic cables as light, making fiber optic service considerably faster than other kinds of broadband Internet. Unlike cable or DSL, fiber optic service does not use wiring already installed in a home, so subscribers must have wires professionally installed.

Satellite Internet service uses a small satellite dish installed outside a subscriber's home or office to transmit and receive data. Coaxial cables connect the dish to equipment that processes the data and sends it to the user's computer. The upfront costs for installing satellite service are higher than those of other forms of service, so it is most popular in rural areas where other types of Internet connections are not available. Although severe weather can occasionally disrupt satellite reception, service quality is generally comparable to that of other high-speed connections.

Wireless Internet service connects a user's computer to the Internet using radio waves rather than cables. Wireless routers broadcast service over a limited range. Computers within that range access the Internet using their wireless cards, which convert the transmitted data to digital signals the computer can process. Wireless networks may be unsecured or password protected. Users who choose wireless Internet service for their homes can access the Internet from any room without plugging the computer into anything.