One supplier may provide dialup service nationally as an adjunct to the leased line service, another may not. Variable, as well, is the assistance and responsibility the various suppliers will take for installing the service, whether training is offered, whether fees are to be paid monthly or annually, etc. The library pays for circuit costs and equipment at its end. To these fees must be added the cost of the circuit and equipment at the library's end. In the cells below, L stands for leased line, D for dialup.
Blank cells indicate uncertainty about a supplier's offering.
It was often difficult to determine how much assistance the various suppliers are willing to afford and whether consulting is strictly limited to advising, e.g., which brand and model router you should buy. Sometimes consulting and installation are part of the setup price, sometimes they are additional services. Note that BARRnet offers a broad range of data communications consulting services, extending well beyond Internet connectivity. Please note, however, that the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the positions or policy of the U.S. Dept. of Education or the California State Library, and no official endorsement by either should be inferred.