2005-08-20

Technical question

We are in the process of arduous thinking about rearranging the variety of technical services in our palatial and gracious home. Since switching our telephone to VoIP, we have found that the phone services conflict with one another -- while the VoIP modem is on, people who call our land line get a busy signal. At the same time, we have not been able to get rid of the land line because our DSL runs through it, which is a classic bad deal in which we pay Verizon money for the pleasure of paying them more money. We could switch the internet service to cable, but the only provider around here is Comcast, which repels us with its unique combination of high prices and bad service. One thing we thought of was switching the land line number to a cell phone (I need to get one anyway, am probably the last holdout), but apparently we can only do this once we have freed the phone line from its DSL burden. This means that our first task is to find a new internet provider. So the question is: if we want to stop having business with Verizon and are not exactly attracted to Comcast, what other options are out there? Our beloved town wants to introduce wireless internet everywhere, but who knows how long this can take. Meanwhile, in this fabulous age of satellites of love and wireless of wrath, it is hard to believe that we are really required to knuckle under to the monopolies of proprietors of wires. So, to all those readers who are more technically adept than I (that should be pretty much all of you), what suggestions have you got?

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