Ameritech is marketing the services, as are more than 20 other companies that use Ameritech's lines. The second source is Time Warner Cable's Roadrunner cable modem service. With either method, Internet access is constantly available without dialing up, and transmission speeds can be much faster than those of a standard dial-up modem. The higher speed systems have been pushed as a major plus for businesses looking to cut employees' wait time in getting Internet access. But some Milwaukee-area companies say that while the service may be readily available to residential customers and to downtown Milwaukee businesses, they are not finding the service easily available to them.
Local providers acknowledge the gaps in service zones.
Most are in the suburban areas such as Brookfield, Pewaukee, Port Washington, West Bend, and areas of Grafton and Cedarburg. LaBudde Group signed a contract for ISDN service in December and installation has been postponed repeatedly, Dickmann said. Grace at General Plastics has found himself in the same dilemma. Television cable was not run to his business, so services like Time Warner Cable's Roadrunner are out. And an attempt to get DSL service to his company failed because the service lines didn't run there.