Ground Level Blog

Cool Internet speed comparison

In the sometimes too-technical discussions over broadband Internet access, it's hard to grasp how fast is fast enough. Do I need 10 megabits per second? Why?

Mark Erickson, who has been spearheading the exploration of a community-owned fiber optic network in Sibley County in Central Minnesota, passed on in his regular email update this cool site to help understand.

It helps if you speak Dutch, but basically it shows you graphically how long it takes certain files -- say an MP3 or a DVD -- to download on a variety of connections.

Choose your file and click Start. Then just wait for that dial-up connection to deliver your music file.