Uncommon Cents

One of the promises of technology is lower cost; whether this really does happen in all instances is questionable. One of the areas in which there has been a huge amount of progress is in Internet access. Fifteen years ago, downloading at the speeds that can be found today in any home with a cable modem connection would have been unaffordable for all but the wealthiest households.

Today, we can get broadband speeds over the air through WiMax (Clearwire) or mobile phone networks and there are public WiFi hotspots for pay or free all over the place. The $42.95 a month I pay to the cable company every month gives me access speeds fast enough to run a small Web server at home (although the cable company doesn’t like that). For those who find that too expensive, there’s a lower cost option from the cable company (which is also about 1/4 the speed); alternatively, the telephone company will provide us with a Digital Subscriber line for about the same cost. In some areas of the country, AT&T or other vendors will offer DSL for prices that are actually lower than the typical price of a dial up account (under $20 a month). But what do you do if even that is out of your budget?

1) Consider free access. There are often coffee shops that offer “free” access for customers; our local Safeway also has free WiFi. There is also the dubious use of a neighbor’s open access point, but I would not encourage that.

2) Check out the local public library. Again, the library could come to your rescue. The library here offers free use of their computers for Internet access; access is free, but appointments are preferred. Printing carries a per page fee.

3) Check your mobile phone. You may have a low cost option of “tethering” your phone to your computer and the 3G phone networks offer DSL-type speeds. While this may not be cheaper than a cable modem or DSL connection, when comparing the total price of the phone plan and the data access it’s quite possible it will turn out to be less. If you don’t actually need the computer attached to the ‘Net and can do your work all on your phone (if you mostly need email, this might be a way to go), you might be able to do it pretty cheaply.

4) Pay as you go. For someone who uses the Internet as much as I do, it’s hard for me to recommend this, but for a very light duty user, going to an Internet kiosk and paying as you go may be a viable alternative.

For those who wish to save some money on your Internet access, you do have some alternatives. You can use free services, check out the public library, work with your mobile phone provider, or pay as you go. Consider if these alternatives might make a difference for you but still meet your needs!

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