Who here has a long term commitment to dial-up?

[GoldenBear]

Okay, so I've been using dial up internet for a lifetime now, and there's little obligation for me to get anything faster--especially since I'd be paying $40-$50 MORE than what I'm paying now.

I have lived moments with a good broadband connection, but there's never been much obligatory to get it for myself, even though I spend hours a day on the internet. My money would be much better off wasted on more computer accessories IMO.

 

[vi edit]

I piggy back off of my offices account for dial up access, so I currently pay nothing for dial up access.

The idea of a $200 setup fee as well as $40 a month for a 128K/384K DSL line doen't sound too overly attractive.

I had cable access for a year, but moved to a different part of the state that doesn't even offer digital cable. But, now I'm back to dial up and I'll probably be stuck here until the cable companies finally get off their ass and get ISP services set up.

 

[speg]

I'll be on dial-up for the next to years, then Im getting the hell outta here. To make it worse its 28K

 

[OZEE]

Out here in rural KS, I'll likely be dialup forever -- unless they decide to try wireless out here... fat chance...

 

[RussianBear2001]

Im NEVER going back to dialup.

 

[Cooltech2k]

Oh God I Pay 50 a month for a 640 dsl line & There was no signup fee.

 

[reitz]

<< ...I'd be paying $40-$50 MORE than what I'm paying now. >>

How much are you paying for dialup?!?

At least around here (Southwest PA), DSL costs between $40 and $50 with a reasonable ISP. If you're online enough to pay for a second phone line (and if you're not, broadband may not be for you), you might as well go with DSL. You're already paying around $20 for the dialup account, plus another $18 or so for the extra phone line. For an extra $2 to $12 a month, why not upgrade to a connection that is up to 15 times faster* and always on? True, the setup and equipment fees can be a little steep, but once you've paid for it, you won't regret it (Less than 5% of my company's DSL cancellations go back to dialup).


*based on the theoretical max speed of my company's most basic DSL package versus the theoretical max of an ideal dialup connection (that's the sales pitch I used when I was still a tech support rep...of the leads I forwarded to sales, I had an 80% close rate )

 

[reitz]

<< Out here in rural KS, I'll likely be dialup forever -- unless they decide to try wireless out here... fat chance... >>

From what I've seen and heard, you may be overly pessimistic.

Wireless is, for the most part, designed for less-populated areas. It is inexpensive to develop and deploy (compared to DSL and cable), and it can be rolled out very quickly. The only real drawbacks are high latency and unreliability during inclement weather.

A decent portion of West Virginia can expect to see wireless within 2 years (best case scenario: next spring), and it should be available to most of the rest of the state within 5. If WV, with it's 1940's era telecommunications infrastructure has broadband options in sight, the future should look pretty good for the rest of the country

 

[Alienwho]

Broadband pays for itself

 

[HansHurt]

I pay 39.95/mo Canadian for a fast cable connect...it's too bad they charge so much for some of you guys. Eventually that will change I suppose.

 

[Renob]

I have had cable for over 3 years BTW I get it for free my sister works for ATnT but even If I had to pay $100 a month I would be happy to. I see what DU is like when I go over to some of my friends homes and I dont see how you can live with it....

 

[XMan]

According to my contacts at the phone company and the cable company, I'm SOL for at least 3 years. So I'm sticking with dial-up.

 

[Renob]

Get a dish then you can have lots of tv and broadband