ATLANTA, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- While educators tout the Internet as a source for faster, more efficient learning and are increasingly assigning projects that require Internet use, the slow speeds of dial-up service can frustrate students and discourage their use of the Internet. This year some 36 million U.S. students will be online, and about 28 million of them will log-on from home, according to recent research from Grunwald Associates of Burlingame, Calif.

With school starting soon, Cox Communications encourages parents to seek new ways to maximize their children's use of the Internet. "Whether you are buying a new computer or upgrading your existing system, the back-to-school season is the perfect time to re-think your Internet connection," said Steve Gorman, director of marketing for Cox's Residential Data Services. "Using high-speed connections such as cable modems provide quick, efficient access to the Internet -- ultimately helping students focus on the assignments at hand and reducing frustrations and distractions of dial-up online access."

Tips for Evaluating Internet Connection Options

• Speed - Pick a service with high-speed connection, which reduces time for downloading attachments, diminishes long waiting periods and helps prevent children from becoming distracted. Cable modems provide download speeds up to 50 to 100 times faster than the maximum download speed of standard 28.8 kbps dial-up modems.

• Flexibility -- Choose a service that enables multi-tasking, allowing children to be online while other family members use the telephone and/or watch TV -- all at the same time. Cable modems, for instance, provide this flexibility, unlike dial-up connections that can create long waiting lines in the home for use of the phone and computer.

• Always On -- A high-speed cable modem connection keeps users connected to the Internet all the time, eliminating aggravating telephone connections, busy signals and the need for multiple telephone lines.

• Parental Control -- Choose a service that provides a free trial of parental control software to help monitor children's use of the Internet, enabling parents to manage the Web content viewed by students.

• Ease of Use -- Signing up for a service that is easy for all members of the family to learn and use is important whether you're initiating a simple login, navigating the Web or downloading multi-media files.

• Multiple E-Mail Addresses -- Parents will want to be careful to choose an Internet service that provides multiple e-mail addresses for one account, providing parents and children with the convenience of their own addresses.

"High-speed cable modems clearly provide the best choice for fast, efficient Internet connections when all of the features above are considered," Gorman said. "With a high-speed cable modem connection, you can download a 900 KB file in under 10 seconds, while it takes a 28.8 dial up over four minutes to download the same file. These speed benefits help children complete homework assignments more efficiently, freeing their time for other activities and minimizing frustration and distractions."

Acerca de Cox Communications

Cox Communications (NYSE: COX), a Fortune 500 company, serves approximately 6.2 million customers nationwide, making it the nation's fifth largest cable television company. A full-service provider of telecommunications products, Cox offers an array of services, including Cox Cable; local and long distance telephone services under the Cox Digital Telephone brand; high-speed Internet access under the brands Cox@Home, Road Runner and Cox Express; advanced digital video programming services under the Cox Digital Cable brand; and commercial voice and data services via Cox Business Services. Cox is an investor in telecommunications companies including Sprint PCS and Excite@Home, as well as programming networks including Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. More information about Cox Communications can be accessed on the Internet at www.cox.com/espanol .

SOURCE Cox Communications

CONTACT: Susan Leepson of Cox Communications, +1-404-269-8260, or Susan.Leepson@cox.com /