how standard dialup works
currently all internet service providers connect their customers to the internet with the aid of one of the four companies (called tier1 providers) who own the global infrastructure that is the backbone of the internet. isp's purchase the required amount of connection to the internet (called bandwidth) from the tier1 providers based on the number of users each isp has. see diagram below.

due to the cost of bandwidth, isp's compromise and calculate their need based on the number of users that they believe will connect at any one time, (usually 1 in 100). however it is likely that 20 to 30 users in every 100 will be online at peak times. this is known as a contended connection.

how non-contended dialup works
contention means you share your connection with other users, at times slowing you down to an unbearable speed and even preventing connection to the internet altogether. non-contended connection allows enough bandwidth for all users at all times, which means your connection speed isn't compromised by the amount of traffic. at sparkdial we will always provide enough bandwidth to allow all of our users to get online at any one time at the optimum speed of their equipment.

this diagram shows how contention is similar to traffic congestion.

isp busy time	isp quiet time
sparkdial's non-contended connection at all times