Actually, there is $49.95 DSL service, not through the phone company. I can provide a link to that. You shouldn't require a static IP (they are nice, but), and if you do, $15/month seems a little high. On Thu, 6 Dec 2001, Bill Gaughan wrote: > Hello, > > Thank you for your comments. I see from your e-mail address that you are > from Finnland. I am from the USA. Here in the states, training centers for > the blind never heard of linux. Linux is a foreign word to them. The only > thing they know is speech with eloquence and Jaws For Windows. The only > networking that big businesses in the states seem to know these days is > Windows NT, unless they are small ISP's. But, with DSL and cable modems > taking over here in the USA, small ISP's are being pushed out of business > by big cable and telephone companies. It's the way they have the pricing > structured around here. For example, to get DSL here you need to pay your > telephone company that provides you with local service for your DSL > connection. Then they will usually give you your ISP connection for free > because you are paying them for the digital DSL service on your local > phone line with your local service. Here in my local area, DSL is $49.00 a > month. Now, if you go to an outside provider, an ISP who provides DSL, > they will usually charge you $10 to $15 monthly for an IP address. But, > you still have to pay your local phone company for the DSL connection, not > your ISP. So, when the phone company gives you an ip address for free, > what are you going to do? You are more than likely going to drop your old > ISP and save yourself $15 a month. Right? > > I am happy to see that Europe is more progressive in how it approaches > technology. Thank you for sharing this information with us. > >