In article , Alun
writes:

The cheapest satellite Internet access in the US is Starband, which is
$40/mo for 768k speed. However, the combined cost of equipment and setup is
$600!!! This is why I still have dialup, no other broadband being
available. It is possible to find the equipment used (some people sell it
when they get DSL or cable in their area), but the setup fee is still $240.
That's not a typo, it's $240 for setup, not $24.

When DSL first appeared, there were substantial setup and equipment fees. They
have pretty much gone by the wayside now.

In my case I think both DSL and cable are available on the other side of
the street!

?? How wide is your street?

Or do your utilities run behind the houses, as they do here?

One friend suggested I should get Wi-Fi and link into one of my
neighbours, paying a cut towards their broadband bill. He knows someone
who linked their house with their business premises by Wi-Fi, but says they
lose the connection when it rains!

Lot of new 802.11() systems that are a lot more robust than earlier ones.

BPL is set to cost only about as much as DSL and maybe nothing to install.
Some people would go for it just because they don't have a spare 600 bucks
to buy and set up a satellite system. I would almost be tempted if it
wasn't for ham radio. Cable Internet is $55/mo here. That includes $15/mo
for basic cable TV, whether you want it or not. DSL is $35/mo. I am sure
that some people would try BPL instead, as it doesn't need extra wires or
Wi-Fi.

Some form of special modem is needed for BPL, and it is proprietary to the
particular system in use because they're all different. Your cable modem and
DSL prices are higher than we pay here ($43 and $30, respectively) and the
prices keep dropping. Verizon, for one, offers package deals where POTS, DSL
and cell phone service are all bundled together for a very reasonable price.

There are some new BPL articles on the ARRL website. Worth a read.

73 de Jim, N2EY