I download by volume — updates etc. — by going to a local library every few weeks with my laptop and plugging into their high speed connection, which is free of course.

Satellite is $70/month in my rural area. Some of the companies are gradually spreading. DSL is $30/month but not available in my neighborhood.

A lot of people probably stick with dialup because they don’t spend that much time on the computer, and use it mostly for e-mail. I remember when Compuserve charged $7/hour for a connection to their network. This was before the internet.

When the internet first arrived, a few years later, AOL also had an hourly rate structure, once you went beyond the 20 or whatever hours that were included. At that time, (1995?), I switched immediately to the first $20/month flat rate provider that came to my area. One year, 2002, I even used a provider that was free, with no ads, that worked very well. I was mystified that then, when there were several $10/month providers, people stuck with AOL, paying $25/month or more.

I would imagine that some people do not switch to broadband because they’ve heard stories of people’s problems with it, or they are suspicious of the low price, and think it is a come-on; that when they sign up at 20, it’ll go up to 50 the following year.

I started with something like a 4k modem, and remember thinking I was streaking with a 12k one. Then it went to something like 14k, 28k, and finally 56k. I was put out to learn there was not going to be any faster. Sooooo disappointing. Then broadband. Well, I’m sure we’ll all be at a google G in a few years, or 20MB at least.

I suspect it’s also somewhat of an over-simplification to suggest that those still with dialup that could avail of broadband have cheap alternatives and could actually make savings. The cheapest broadband offerings out there at the moment tend to be wireless solutions and are very location dependent. The fact is that fixed line broadband is still extremely expensive relatve to even our next door neighbours in the UK and the 3G/HSDPA options provided by our more established and reliable telcos are no better. 3G access also tends to come with restrictions that fixed line customers would never face or would not tolerate. Take for example Three’s 6 moth fumbling with basic SMTP access.

Broadband was available to my Dad, but it took months and many phone calls, letters to get it. He’s retired now, so the constant no shows did not bother him as much as it would some one working outside the home. (He could n’t self install as there was a monitored alarm) He nearly gave up until I let him use my PC with broadband and he saw the difference.
Because of the poor service and perception that you can’t get it,many customers can’t be bothered with broadband because it’s just too much hassle.

The Teleco’s if they’re serious about reducing dial up, need to improve their customer service, their marketing and offer incentives to people to move.

PS Congrats on another successful blog awards