Since the beginning of the era, computer users have been able to depend on a few guarantees. Hardware will get faster. Software will become more feature-laden. Prices will become lower.

These truths have held up for decades, although experts say it gets more challenging to keep up the pace as time goes on.

The latest entries in the faster, better, cheaper race are Internet access services. Sure, access seems to be getting more expensive. But that's not because the services are going up in price. It's because we're moving up in the types of service we're buying. At first we were satisfied with dial-up -- until we got hooked on content and graphics-heavy Web sites. Then we moved up to broadband -- because the experience is better. But we're always thirsty for more. We're watching movies, downloading large files and even sending video mail -- all of which eat up our bandwidth, making everything we do slower online.

So we should be very happy that our Internet pipes are getting faster yet again.

	Details on new offerings to speed Internet service COMCAST Starting this month, if you pay $42.95 monthly, your new top speeds are 4 megabits per second download; 384 Mbps upload. If you pay $52.95 monthly, your speed will jump to 6 Mbps download; 768 Mbps upload. Rates are for residential customers. Business customers are eligible for different speed ranges using a different price schedule. VERIZON WIRELESS BroadbandAccess, which is separate from your cell phone service, requires a laptop computer and a wireless access card that you can buy from Verizon Wireless, or a specially equipped PocketPC/cell phone available directly from Verizon Wireless. Each wireless access card is keyed to a different wireless Internet access account, much like each cell phone has its own identifier. So you'll need to buy a card for each laptop that will use the service. Maximum speed varies depending on how far you are from the closest enabled cell tower, and the capabilities of that tower. In general, speed declines the farther you are from the tower. -- David Radin

In mid-January, Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, announced it would upgrade the speed of its nationwide residential cable access, allowing users to surf at up to 6 Mbps (megabits per second). By the end of March, most users will see a speed increase, automatically -- some up to 4 Mbps from 3 Mbps; others to 6 Mbps from 4 Mbps. They don't even have to ask for the upgrade. Western Pennsylvania Comcast users may already notice the accelerated speed, as the company made the upgrade to its Pittsburgh systems on Feb. 1. Later this year, the company plans to expand its service offering to take advantage of the extra speed.

Verizon Wireless announced last month a new, higher-speed Internet service, available to cell phone users who carry laptop computers. Dubbed BroadbandAccess, the service allows users to connect to the Internet wirelessly at speeds up to 2 Mbps. Available in 26 cities, including Pittsburgh, BroadbandAccess could help mobile professionals change the way they work. Instead of having to roam around looking for a Wi-Fi hot spot, they simply need to be in range of a cell tower that offers the high-speed service. Since cell service is a wide-area service, instead of local-area service like Wi-Fi, it should be much easier to find a connection in one of the target cities.

Some users may be tempted to dump their traditional service to pick up the BroadbandAccess service at $79.99/month. After all, it will let them connect from the office and home using the same connection. But it's not that easy. You'll need a special card that plugs into your PCMCIA slot.

For most of us, that means we'll need a laptop -- since most desktop systems don't come with PCMCIA slots. It also means that whenever you remove your laptop from the network, you'll lose your connection for the rest of the network. It also doesn't work with your PocketPC or Palm-based device (unless you buy the specially equipped model from Verizon Wireless), because you can't plug the card into them. So using BroadbandAccess as your sole service isn't for everybody.

But if you spend lots of time on the road in major cities, it could be revolutionary as a traveling service -- allowing you to access the Net fast enough to work much like you work in your home office. And you won't have to pay the high daily connection fees often charged by hotels for access in your room.

With these and other Internet services, you'll need to consider the caveats. The download speeds are much faster than upload speeds. So sending e-mail or large files will typically be 10 to 12 times slower than receiving them.