How To Choose Free National ISPs
May 01 '01
The Bottom Line There are still a few free ISPs out there, and the trick is to find the one that is right for you.
There are still a few free ISPs out there, and the trick is to find the one that is right for you. The way they operate is to give you free access in exchange for viewing their ads. Some run ad bars on your screen, in much the same way as the paid to surf companies have done. Others use popups for displaying their ads.
While your connection speeds may be somewhat lower than with a paid provider, the cost will in many cases make up the difference. The problem for many, especially those who live in rural areas, is that their may not be a local dial up number to connect to. The price paid in this case is the standard long distance charge to the city where you are connecting. This can add up in a big hurry. Some also offer a toll free number, but they charge you a fee for using this number. Sometimes it is a set fee and sometimes they charge you by the minute for using this number. This generally will amount to about 10 cents per minute for the ones I have looked into.
One of the providers I have tried is BlueLight.com. The connection speed with them seemed extremely slow, and made downloading almost impossible for me. In my area, it was also necessary to pay long distance charges since there were no local numbers available.
Additionally, I was asked to choose a primary and two alternate connection numbers. I had a lot of problems getting connected to several of them and therefore changed numbers nearly every time I used their service.
AOL offers up to 700 free hours of service. These hours must all be used during your first month of service. You must then cancel your service, or be billed a monthly fee. For this offer, you must enter either a credit card or checking account information. Once again, any telephone charges are your responsibility.
NetZero Offers up to 40 hours of free access per household per month. Free access may not be available in all areas. As with all of the others, you are responsible for any telephone charges.
Additionally, there are several Free-Nets that you may be able to use. Again, check of long distance charges. And if all else fails, check with your local library for information on local access which may be available in your area.
For more information on free internet access providers, feel free to visit
http://kellyskorner.net/access.html
*Please read all offers carefully. Long distance charges may apply.
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