Eliana Willis

More stories

  • 88 Shares119 Views

    in Robotics

    Pizza vending machine looking for some dough

    Basil Street
    People love pizza. People love convenience. Boom, a pizza vending machine!Not so long ago that would have sounded like a joke, but kiosk concepts are proliferating amid a wave of investment in touch free food concepts. Basil Street, which raised $10 million last year, is turning to crowd funding to increase its distribution of Automated Pizza Kitchens.The company, which has received NSF and UL certification, plans to have about 50 APKs placed across the country by fall 2021 and aims to expand to up to 100 APKs by year end. Locations targeted for kiosk placement include universities, airports, and other high-traffic areas, further illustrating the growth potential and customer interest surrounding the technology.Of course, it has some competition. Piestro, which last year raised money via crowdfunding site StartEngine, makes a standalone, fully integrated cooking system and dispenser, creating an automated pizzeria that combines fresh ingredients and custom recipes to build what the company says are high-quality pizzas. The pizza wars (Domino’s vs. Pizza Hut, Papa John’s vs. Round Table) are about to take an odd turn into automated food delivery, a market that could be quite lucrative. After all, there are over four billion pizzas served in the U.S. annually, according to IBIS World. Depending on where you live, you may already be able to get a fresh-tossed salad from a robot named Sally and a really good pull of espresso from one of Cafe X’s robotic baristas. “Automated food kiosks are accepted globally as a viable option for meals on the go,” says Deglin Kenealy, CEO of Basil Street. “As the need for contact-free solutions rises in the U.S., we have successfully combined America’s favorite meal with patented technology to deliver restaurant-quality food at the touch of a button. We are excited to take this next step and engage our supporters to become a part of the pizza robotic community through participation in our crowdfunding efforts. With over $47 billion in revenue generated in the U.S. Pizza Industry, the opportunity to transform this market is here.”Following its raise last year, Basil Street completed a pilot program of their automated pizza kitchens (APKs) and received positive reviews from customers. The pilot consisted of five APKs in California, Texas, North Carolina, and Nevada. Patrons had the opportunity to experience the stand-alone kiosks’ signature pies featuring fresh ingredients, utilizing a proprietary cooking process that in approximately three-minutes delivers a brick oven-style pizza experience similar to those found in one’s local favorite pizzeria. 

    In case you’re wondering, the price of a 10-inch Italian style, thin-crust pizza will range between $4.95-$14.95. Basil Street is committing to using only fresh ingredients that are flash-frozen to preserve nutrients, flavor, and freshness before being cooked to order. It takes about three-minute for the pizzas to cook via a patented three-element non-microwave speed oven.  More

  • 200 Shares129 Views

    in Information Technology

    Microsoft warns: These attackers can go from first contact to launching ransomware in just 48 hours

    Microsoft is warning that the BazarCall (or Bazacall) call center malware operation is actually more dangerous than first thought, with initial attacks potentially leading to ransomware attacks within 48 hours.   The group had been targeting Office 365/Microsoft 365 customers with phishing email regarding ‘expiring’ bogus trial subscriptions that dupe the target into calling a call center to chat with an operator, who then try to trick the victim into installing the Bazacall backdoor. The Microsoft 365 Defender Threat Intelligence Team spotlighted the group in June, as ZDNet reported at the time, and in a new post it outlines how it’s a more dangerous threat than previously reported, allowing the attackers to distribute ransomware or steal data within 48 hours of infection.     “Apart from having backdoor capabilities, the BazaLoader payload from these campaigns also gives a remote attacker hands-on-keyboard control on an affected user’s device, which allows for a fast network compromise,” the Microsoft team says. “In our observation, attacks emanating from the BazaCall threat could move quickly within a network, conduct extensive data exfiltration and credential theft, and distribute ransomware within 48 hours of the initial compromise.”The BazaCall group has apparently teamed up with group behind the Ryuk ransomware, which has made about $150 million in Bitcoin from its attacks.   A few notable differences with the BazaCall group’s tactics include that they don’t use phishing links or send malicious attachments, helping avoid classic detection systems. The technique is closer to call center fraudsters and victims are also connected to a human operator. 

    “Hands-on-keyboard control further makes this threat more dangerous and more evasive than traditional, automated malware attacks,” Microsoft warns.The call center and email outreach parts of the operation seem reasonably well-organized. While subject lines in emails are repeated, each email is tagged with unique alpha-numeric string, creating a user ID or transaction code, in order to identify the victim across multiple calls. The initial call center operator discusses the expiring subscription and then recommends the victim visit a faked website where they can supposedly cancel the subscription to avoid future monthly fees.Microsoft has provided additional details regarding the group’s use of malicious macros in Excel files to download the Cobalt Strike penetration testing kit and gain ‘hands-on-keyboard’ control of a victim’s machine and the ability to search a network for admin and domain administrator account info to exfiltrate data or deploy Ryuk or Conti, a related ransomware. The agent instructs the victim to navigate to the account page and cancel the subscription by download a file, which turns out to be a macro-enabled Excel document. The call center agent instructs the victim to enable content on Microsoft’s default warning in Excel that macros have been disabled. The group is, according to Microsoft’s description, using relatively sophisticated ‘living-off the-land’ (or misusing legit software tools) for nefarious network activities.     If the attacker finds a high-value target, they use 7-Zip to archive intellectual property — such as information about security operations, finance and budgeting — for exfiltration.In cases where ransomware was deployed after compromise, the attacker used high privilege compromised accounts with Cobalt Strike’s PsExec functionality to distribute Ryuk or Conti ransomware on network devices, according to Microsoft.  More

  • 150 Shares169 Views

    in Information Technology

    New Aussie legislation to target use of personal information by social media

    Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
    The Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) has been conducting a review of Australia’s 33-year-old Privacy Act, considering, among other things, the current definition of personal information.The department in October released an issues paper for public consultation. AGD transparency and criminal law branch assistant secretary Autumn Field said about 200 submissions to the consultation were received and it was in the process of finalising a discussion paper, which is set to be released for public consultation in the coming weeks.”That discussion paper will talk about the kinds of themes that we picked up from the submissions, and will also raise some possible options for reforming the Privacy Act. And the ideas that will be put forward are basically the ones that we feel warrant some further public discussion,” she told the Select Committee on Foreign Interference Through Social Media on Friday.”After we’ve publicly consulted on that discussion paper, we’ll review all of its submissions, and formulate a final report for government’s consideration.”The review was meant to occur last year, but as previously claimed, COVID is to blame for the delay.But in addition to work on reforming the Privacy Act 1988, Field said AGD was also working on a further legislative instrument targeted towards social media companies operating in Australia.”In addition to the Privacy Act review, we are also separately working on exposure draft legislation that will specifically target social media companies and certain other online platforms with similar themes in terms of ensuring that there’s greater transparency about how personal information is being used, and how consent is obtained, particularly for young people,” she told the committee.

    “We’re in the process of finalising that legislation at the moment, and that will also be released for public discussion as well.”See also: Prime Minister declares Australians should be in charge, not tech giantsField was asked if the amount of legislation in the works surrounding social media and other technology companies highlighted the “extraordinary power that needs to be addressed by regulation and accountability”.”In terms of the review of the Privacy Act, it’s really a process of making sure that the current settings are appropriately calibrated, and that there is the correct balance between protecting individual’s personal information, and still ensuring that we can operate in a very digital economy,” she said in response. “The purpose of the review is to flush out those issues and to work out how the Privacy Act could be improved.”Earlier this year, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Redbubble, TikTok, and Twitter committed to the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation, which is a voluntary code the signatories have vowed to follow on their respective platforms.Appearing alongside Field was Pauline Sullivan, who is the first assistant secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. Sullivan was asked why the government agreed to a voluntary code that was developed by the social media companies. She told the committee the platforms worked in a timely fashion to get a code in play and they have provided transparency reports on time. Sullivan said advice has been provided to the minister for further consideration.MORE FROM THE PRIVACY ACT REVIEW More

  • 113 Shares189 Views

    in Networking

    NBN business satellite service now covers all of Australia

    NBN announced on Friday that it has hit 100% coverage on the Australian mainland, Tasmania, as well as “large islands and hard to reach remote locations” that include Christmas Island, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island. The company said this was an increase of 7 percentage points on the 93% of eligible businesses it could previously offer. It added that it has also reduced its Layer 3 Business Satellite Service Access Bandwidth Service wholesale pricing to retailers by 40% when they sign up to “extended contract terms” with NBN. The service offered is claimed to deliver “consistent wholesale speeds” up to 50/13 Mbps. “Whether to connect remote health facilities, mining operations, or large-scale agriculture, these enhancements help make the business NBN satellite service more accessible for eligible businesses and government organisations even in the most remote parts of continent and we look forward to delivering new capabilities to further improve the service in the future,” NBN chief development officer for regional and remote Gavin Williams said. Earlier this year, the Elon Musk-fronted SpaceX told an Australian parliamentary committee that the company could begin to offer its Starlink broadband services to the nation’s external territories as early as 2022. “Certain more proximate islands within the external territories, notably the Ashmore, Cartier, and Coral Sea Islands, could be served by early 2022, when SpaceX has more fully populated its satellite constellation with ongoing launches and with the establishment of gateway earth stations at proximate mainland locations,” it said. While geostationary satellites, like the Sky Muster ones used by NBN, have latency in the order of 600-800ms, those in low Earth orbit can provide 20-40ms of latency. Starlink users last year saw internet speeds of 134Mbps.

    During the same hearing, the Norfolk Island Regional Council pushed for the island to return to the way it was, which means restoring a cable connection to the island, despite the island having its own NBN Sky Muster spot beam. The council spent AU$8 million over five years on satellite connectivity, and for its money, it now gets a 113/37Mbps primary link with a 20/4Mbps redundant link. Norfolk Island previously had a cable connection, but it was cut. The island still has a cable landing station, and in 2003 the Australian government paid to have an “extensive underground” fibre to the node network installed, which now uses satellite backhaul. On Thursday, NBN said it would provide AU$5.2 million in the form of a “COVID-19 relief credit payment” to cover overage charges paid by retailers due to bandwidth spikes caused by lockdowns in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. Related Coverage More

  • 88 Shares129 Views

    in Networking

    Internet options for students on low income

    The Internet Isn’t OptionalThe internet is no longer a service that’s useful to have. It’s a necessity, especially for students of all levels. Many schools embrace technology in and out of the classroom and even provide students with the hardware to complete assignments. While this addresses one issue, it entirely ignores another: internet connection. According to a federal study, 70% of American teachers assign homework that has to be completed online and 90% of students report they are given online assignments at least a few times a month. This becomes problematic when you factor in that 15% of the households with high school-aged children lack a high-speed internet connection, as reported by the Pew Research Center U.S. census data.

    ZDNet Recommends

    The best internet service providers

    When you’re comparing internet providers for your business, don’t just look at speed and price. More than anything else, you want the most reliable connection to keep your business running.

    Read More

    Lack of Internet Creates a Barrier to EducationAccessibilityIn the United States, two in three teachers use technology in their classrooms, and it’s not hard to see why. Technology is a convenient way to assign work and can provide access to various resources that enhance students’ academic experience. For students of low-income families, the classroom’s dependence on technology poses an issue not considered by teachers and policymakers. The average cost of internet is around $60 a month, which is not an affordable option for many.Thankfully, families can save sometimes as much as $50a month through government-funded programs and options from internet service providers. These options are generally underused, oftentimes because families are not aware of them.Public internet useSome students turn to public internet use to complete the required online assignments. While using a library’s or a restaurant’s WiFi is an option for some, students who don’t live close to a hub like that would have to regularly pay transportation fees to get there. Depending on how long it takes them to get somewhere with an internet connection, it could take up a large chunk of the time they could spend studying. What happens if they forgot something at home? What if they forget to turn something in and already are back home? Having internet access in their home takes away the stress of last-minute changes to a project or the need to scramble to find WiFi to turn something in.Data privacy on public WiFi12% of students say they use public WiFi to complete homework. It can be risky to use public WiFi, as the security on these networks is generally relaxed if present at all. Data security should always be a concern when connecting to an unprotected public network. Some of the risks associated with blindly using public networks are:Malicious hotspots: To unsuspecting users, malicious hotspots seem like legitimate networks. Though once connected, attackers have access to any information you’ve entered on webpages – like your login information or personal data.Unencrypted networks: Secure networks are encrypted, meaning any information sent between your computer and router are “encoded” so that no one can read it. By default, routers are shipped with the encryption turned off and it must intentionally be turned on. When dealing with public networks, you cannot be sure if it’s enabled or not.Man-in-the-middle attacks (MitM): This common threat makes what you thought was private available to attackers. Your computer communicates with the website you are accessing and in a MitM attack, an attacker intercepts and can even alter your communications.Mobile hotspotsWhile mobile hotspots allow users to share their phone’s internet connection and connect devices to it, your phone’s mobile hotspot is an inadequate long-term substitute for home internet. Though it’s a great tool for every once in a while, generally hotspots are slow and inconsistent. Hotspots use your phone’s data and depending on your phone plan, this can become expensive. Home internet offers an opportunity to avoid overage fees and free up your phone’s data, and you could even decrease your data plan if you are not reliant on your for internet access.Challenges for students1-to-1 laptop initiatives are the start of addressing the technological barrier present in schools. Half of U.S. teachers have one device for each of their students. However, 17% of students say they often or sometimes can’t complete the tasks assigned to them because they don’t have reliable access to the internet, regardless of having a computer or not.

    Some research supports that teens who don’t have access to the internet are less likely to graduate from high school, compared to the students who do. A contributing factor could be that the lack of home internet creates obstacles for parent-teacher interaction. Technology provides an easy way to set up conferences and communicate with your student’s teacher through email. Parents without internet may have a harder time monitoring their child’s grades and talking to their children’s teachers.Internet Programs for Low-Income StudentsThe type of assignment at hand will place different levels of stress on your internet. For example, using email or basic computer functions may only use around 3-4 Mbps, though video calls for group projects require at least 10 Mbps. College students who collaboratively work on Google drive require adequate internet speed to edit, upload, and download files that are required for their courses. Long papers or media-intensive projects will take longer than average to upload, so making sure your internet can handle it is imperative to college success.Addressing what your household internet use will be and what your student’s needs are will help you pick the best internet service for you. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suggests that households with multiple users and frequent online streaming choose plans that support internet speeds of 12-25 Mbps. Assess the following assistance programs in terms of their speed, price, and how they relate to your needs.Government-funded programs and nonprofitsEveryoneOnEveryoneOn is a nonprofit that connects low-income families with affordable internet options through their provider partnerships. Since 2012 they have helped more than 700,000 people find an internet option that fits their needs. Not only are they a great resource, but they also offer digital skill training classes and help families get computers. EveryoneOn does not directly offer internet services, but you can use their offer locator tool to find internet options in your community.LifelineLifeline offers a discount of $9.25 a month on either your phone or internet costs for families that are at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. The discount is limited to one service only. If you are interested in applying for Lifeline, you must apply through the National Verifier application system. This centralized system is used to verify the eligibility of the applicant and then recertify their qualifications yearly. The national verifier will allow you to choose a phone or internet option and sign up for a company’s services within 90 days of applying. Programs that qualify for Lifeline:MedicaidSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)Federal Public Housing Assistance (EPHA)Veterans Pension and Survivors BenefitSupplemental Security Income (SSI)Tribal assistance programs for Lifeline:Food Distribution Program on Indian ReservationsTribally Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)Bureau of Indian Affairs General AssistanceHead StartHuman I-THuman I-T is a nonprofit that has partnered with Frontier Communications and its Affordable Broadband program. Instead of recycling electronics, Human I-T reuses donated technology to close the digital divide. They offer an affordable internet connection of 18 Mbps at $14.99 per month. To qualify you must participate in at least one of the following:Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramTemporary Assistance for Needy FamiliesNational School Lunch Program (NSLP)Section 8 voucherMedicaidSupplemental Security IncomeProvider programsGovernment-funded programs are not your only option. Many internet providers have low-income options that will help you secure reliable internet in your home. Most do require that you take part in at least one federal assistance program to qualify. Here are the most common options and details of what they offer.How To Save Money If You Don’t QualifyUnless you are already participating in a low-income assistance program, it’s unlikely you’ll be approved for these special internet deals. So what about families who don’t qualify? Thankfully, there are still tricks you can do to save money on your internet bill and ways to reduce costs.Additional things you can do to save money:Buy your own router. Providers charge $5-$10 a month to rent your equipment, which surpasses the price of a router.Read your bill carefully to catch any mistakes or instances where you can cut backShop around for other options and arm yourself with competitor pricesNegotiate your current plan with your providerTake advantage of bundle offers, if you can.Assess your internet speed and make sure it lines up with what you’re paying for.Opt for slower options if you don’t utilize the high-speed perks.The Bottom LineHaving an internet connection is a vital part of your student’s success. Mobile hotspots and trips to the library are unreliable ways for students to complete work and turn in assignments. The programs and services available through local providers and the government ease the burden of needing something you can’t afford. More

  • 125 Shares159 Views

    in Information Technology

    Google claims no instances of foreign interference campaigns targeting Australia

    Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
    Representatives from Google have told an Australian Parliamentary committee looking into foreign interference that the country has not been the target of coordinated influence campaigns.”We’ve not seen the sort of foreign coordinated foreign influence campaigns targeted at Australia that we have with other jurisdictions, including the United States,” Google director of law enforcement and information security Richard Salgado said.”Some of the disinformation campaigns that originate outside Australia, even if not targeting Australia, may affect Australia as collateral … but not as a target of the campaign.”We have found no instances of foreign coordinated influence campaigns targeting Australia.”While acknowledging campaigns that reach Australia do exist, he reiterated they have not specifically targeted Australia.”Some of these campaigns are broad enough that the disinformation could be, sort of, divisive in any jurisdiction in which it is consumed, even if it’s not targeting that jurisdiction,” Salgado told the Select Committee on Foreign Interference Through Social Media.”Google services, YouTube in particular, which is where we have seen most of these kinds of campaigns run, isn’t really very well designed for the purpose of targeting groups to create the division that some of the other platforms have suffered, so it isn’t actually all that surprising that we haven’t seen this on our services.”

    Appearing alongside Salgado on Friday was Google Australia and New Zealand director of government affairs and public policy Lucinda Longcroft, who told the committee her organisation has been in close contact with the Australian government as it looks to prevent disinformation from emerging leading up the next federal election.Additionally, the pair said that Google undertakes a “constant tuning” of the artificial intelligence and machine learning tech used. It said it also constantly adjusts policies and strategies to avoid moments of surprise, where Google could find itself unable to handle a shift in attacker strategy or shift in volume of attack.No money made from your GPay transactionsAppearing earlier in the week before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services, Google VP of product membership and partnerships Diana Layfield said her company does not monetise data from Google Pay in Australia.”I suppose you could argue that there are non-transaction data aspects — so people’s personal profile information,” she added. “If you sign up for an app, you have to have a Google account. So, by and large, we would have that personal profile information; we may have slightly more generalised data about a user from their signing up for Google Pay, but we do not monetise transaction data or payments data from within the app in Australia.”The committee questioned Layfield’s claims, citing remarks from the Reserve Bank of Australia, as one example, that because Google’s business model is about collecting data not transaction fees, it does not charge for Google Pay.”One narrow version of ‘monetise’ is that you take the transaction data and sell it. You say you don’t do that. But another way of understanding it may be that that transaction data goes into the general pool of understanding the customer and their preferences, being able to give them a psychographic profile and monetising that profile, which is a well-known aspect of your business model,” Labor MP Julian Hill asked.”I buy a pair of shoes online, you’re not going to tell anyone else about the shoes that I buy, but it may go into my profile that you then may monetise elsewhere.”Layfield said that while that would be true for Google’s other products, that it was not the case for Google Pay.”In the case of Google Pay, if you were to make a payments transaction and you were to buy a pair of shoes, that transaction data that might give us that information does not leave the Google Pay environment. We don’t use transaction data for ads, for example,” she explained. “Our ads monetisation, which is, as you say, our primary monetisation route, does not receive that data from Google Pay.”She said the transaction data, such as address, name, and profile data, is used both for fraud purposes and for the purposes of updating a user’s overall Google account.THIS WEEK FROM GOOGLE More

  • 138 Shares169 Views

    in Information Technology

    Disinformation for hire: PR firms are the new battleground for Facebook

    Image: Kon Karampelas
    Facebook global head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher has detailed the new disinformation paradigm his platform is battling, with an influx of adversaries using public relations or marketing firms to do their bidding.Gleicher told the Select Committee on Foreign Interference Through Social Media that, last October, Facebook removed a network that was linked to marketing firms based in the UAE, Nigeria, and Egypt. The network targeted public debate around the world, primarily in the Middle East and Africa, but with some focus in Australia.”[There is] an increasing use of marketing firms or PR agencies that are essentially running disinfo-for-hire businesses: You hire them and they run your disinformation campaign,” he said on Friday morning. “We’ve seen these around the world, we’ve seen a couple of them as far back as 2018 … but we’ve seen more use of them lately.”See also: Countering foreign interference and social media misinformation in AustraliaGleicher said Facebook has seen this approach play out in two ways, with the first seeing actors that otherwise wouldn’t have the resources or the skills to run an influence operation, hiring a firm to do that for them. “We’ve seen smaller local campaigns, for example, not long ago in the Mexican election, a number of operations linked to smaller and local campaigns run by these firms,” he said.

    The second, he said, was the more sophisticated threat actors using PR firms as a way to launder their identity. “When we investigate a CIB operation, our teams work to understand who’s behind it. We can’t always identify who’s behind it, obviously, that can be challenging, but we have a number of tools to use to expose, for instance, a government is running it or an actor is behind it,” he explained.”But if a government or a bad actor hires a PR firm, they pay them not on Facebook, and they don’t communicate with them on our platforms. We may be able to track it back to the PR firm, but we won’t be able to make the connection to the actor behind it.”He said the late 2019 operation that targeted Australia had links to three separate marketing firms. “I think we should expect more actors to use PR firms and other intermediaries to hide their identity,’ he added. Discussing coordinated inauthentic behaviour (CIB) targeting Australia, Gleicher said Facebook has seen three other instances, in addition to the disinformation-for-hire campaigns.In August last year, Facebook was used by an operation that acted primarily in English and Chinese and targeted a number of countries, including Australia, and engaged with users on a range of topics such as COVID-19.Another occurred in March 2019, with Gleicher saying there was an operation that appeared to be a financially motivated operation originating from Macedonia and Kosovo, targeting users around the world, including Australia. The final CIB instance was a domestic operation in March 2019. “That was linked to some local political actors in New South Wales,” Gleicher said. Elsewhere, Gleicher said another CIB technique Facebook has seen being increasingly used, particularly by actors linked to Russia and Iran, is getting groups to directly reach out to reporters and try to trick them into writing stories for them. “The idea being, of course, if you can get a reporter to write your false narrative, you already get a whole bunch of public awareness,” he said. “And we’ve seen this be successful in the United States.”He said there have also been instances of people being tricked into working for one of these campaigns. “We’ve seen Russian actors run false media organisations … and they hired local reporters or freelancers who didn’t know any better to write for them, trying to make the voices appear more authentic, trying to have more impact,” he added. MORE FROM THE INQUIRY More

  • 63 Shares99 Views

    in Networking

    The cost of high-speed internet

    Internet is as essential nowadays as water, electricity and gas. But figuring out your options or how much your internet should cost per month is not easy. Let’s break down what’s available, the average cost of internet and how you can save on your monthly high-speed internet costs.What is high-speed internet?The FCC defines high-speed internet, also known as broadband, as internet that’s always on and is faster than the average dial-up connection.Types & Speeds of Internet ConnectionsHigh-speed Internet TypeSpeedAverage Price Per MonthCable10-200 Mbps$58DSL1-80 Mbps$43Fiber Optic30-100 Mbps$56Satellite12-25 Mbps$91High-Speed Internet ProvidersHigh-speed Internet TypeSpeedAverage Price Per MonthCable10-200 Mbps$58DSL1-80 Mbps$43Fiber Optic30-100 Mbps$56Satellite12-25 Mbps$91What factors contribute to internet cost?Equipment rental – Most ISPs rent their equipment to customers for around $10. Rented equipment primarily consists of modems and routers.Installation/activation fees – Installation and activation fees cost about $100 on average. Not all companies charge an installation fee, but they are common.FCC Universal Service Fund fee – This is a fee placed upon telecommunication companies, and it is used to keep their services affordable for Americans. While the FCC doesn’t require ISPs to pass this cost on to their customers, it is permitted and done.. The current FCC UFSF fee is set at 19.6%.Late Payment fee – Late payment fees vary by provider but tend to range from $9 to $25 per late payment. The average late payment fee is around $12.Cancellation fee – If an ISP requires a contract for their internet plans, then there is likely a cancellation fee for those who want to exit the contract early. Some companies charge a flat-rate cancellation fee of around $100-$150, sometimes reducing the cost by a small amount per month of contract completed. Other ISP companies charge a cancellation fee based on the number of months remaining in the contract—often in the range of $10-$20 per month left on the contract.How much should you be paying for internet?For those wondering how much is the cost of internet, Americans are expected to pay an average price of $79 per month in 2020. In 2018, the average American household used 290 gigabytes of data per month. There are four main types of high-speed internet: cable, DSL, Fiber Optic, and satellite. Cable uses coaxial cables, like cable television, and costs an average of $58 per month. DSL uses the same wires as traditional phone lines and costs an average of $43 per month. Fiber Optics are a newer technology that requires fiber optic cables be installed and costs an average of $56 per month. Satellite internet relies on satellites and satellite dishes to transmit internet data and costs an average of $91 per month.The internet can be costly, both to purchase and to run. Even so, as can be seen by the numbers above, high-speed internet has become an integral part of U.S. life, quickly becoming a necessity of the modern world.Ways to lower your internet cost per monthSwitch Providers annually – When you sign up as a new customer with an internet provider, you can often gain discounts and other deals on your internet plan.Negotiate – Despite appearances, few company policies and prices are truly set in stone. Talk to your ISP agent, and you may be able to negotiate a better rate.Use your own equipment – Monthly rental fees can make up a significant portion of your internet bill. Supplying your own modem and router can keep these rental fees off your account.Choose a lower speed – Internet plan prices closely reflect their offered speed. Choosing a plan with a lower speed will often save money.How to choose the best internet serviceWhich internet provider is best for you is going to depend on certain contextual factors. Ask yourself: What do you plan to use the internet for? How many devices do you plan to have simultaneously connected to it? How many people are likely to be using your network regularly? What deals and promotions are offered in your area? Although it can be frustrating, the more choices you have to make, the more opportunity you have to assemble the best deals. If these questions feel overwhelming, don’t worry, below is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to choose the best internet service for you.Determine what you need from your internet. Decide how many devices you plan to have connected to your home network at a time. Look at what you use your devices for and determine what level of internet speed makes sense. This guide provides a reference for which internet speeds are suitable for different types of activity and can be a useful tool in determining what speeds will meet your needs.Assess what is available. Available internet plans and services vary by location. Speed and availability are the main factors affected by locale, but the price can be impacted as well. For this step, you can click here to find out which providers and plans are available at your location.Shop around. Look at the details of plans offered in your area and compare speed, price, data caps, contracts, fees, deals and discounts, and bundling options. The goal here is to determine which provider will offer you the best of what you want for the most reasonable price. Ask yourself, “of the available providers who fit my needs, who has the best of these things.”Make your selection. With the data collected, it is time to decide. Once you have gone through the previous steps, you should arrive at a provider that stands out above the rest for you. Now, all that’s left is to contact them and schedule an appointment.Consider the cost of internetInternet pricing can sometimes surprise you, especially when you consider all of the different costs that might get factored into your bill. Below are some  common features and add-ons that might up your internet bill.Overage charges – Plans that have data caps will see charges added to your account if you go over your allotted data amount.Unlimited data add-on – Many internet plans that have data caps can have an unlimited data add-on purchased alongside them, removing the data cap but increasing the monthly price.Determine the speed you needCable – Cable internet is newer than DSL. It delivers roughly two times the speed, although it is still significantly slower than fiber. Cable is best for people who have moderate to high internet speed requirements. The average monthly cost of cable is $58.DSL – DSL is the earliest of high-speed internet types and still accounts for a significant number of users. While cable and fiber are faster, DSL is still capable of delivering speeds that are fast enough for most residential internet activity. DSL is best for people who have low to moderate internet speed requirements. The average monthly cost of DSL is $43.Fiber – Fiber Optic internet has the least availability, being a new technology that requires specialized lines. Fiber is currently the fastest form of commercial internet. It is best for people who have very high internet speed requirements. The average monthly cost of Fiber Optic is $56.Satellite – Satellite is significantly slower than other forms of high-speed internet, but is available nearly everywhere, as it does not use landlines but instead relies on satellites and dishes. The average monthly cost of satellite is $91. It costs significantly more than other forms of high-speed internet as it depends on much more expensive technology. What are the options in your area?

    Every internet provider has a disclaimer posted along with their service plans. This disclaimer lets potential customers know that plans, speeds, and prices may vary by location. While this can be frustrating, it is primarily due to the nature of the American telecommunication infrastructure. In general, the more urban and densely populated an area, the more internet service options there will be. For an in-depth look at what is available in your area, take a look at our review of the best internet providers.

    How much does wifi cost?

    Average monthly internet bills in the United States are expected to be $79 in 2020 but this can vary greatly depending on location, plan, and provider. The primary difference between regular internet and WiFi is a piece of equipment called a router. Most providers rent routers to their customers for $5-$10 per month. To figure out your wifi cost per month, add the cost of a router to the cost of your internet plan.

    How much should high speed internet cost?

    Unless a plan offers certain premium features that you are pursuing, such as top speeds and unlimited data, try to keep the cost of high speed internet below $58 on cable, $43 on DSL, $56 on fiber, or $91 on satellite. Following this guideline will keep you from paying above average for your internet type. Americans are expected to pay $79 per month for their average cost of internet in 2020.

    Who has the cheapest internet?

    Despite relying on some of the newest technology, Verizon Fios is the most affordable provider out of the ones reviewed. The cheapest Fios plan doesn’t deliver speeds beyond what cable internet can achieve, but it is cheaper. More