Hey, as a WISP employee myself, thanks. It is really frustrating sometimes that potential customers have been trained that the duopoly the article mentioned is reality.
In truth, there is a vibrant, resourceful, and outspoken group of entrepreneurs out to take all of the incumbents marbles. But, like the article says, we have to fight at every turn for access that telco's and cable co's take for granted.
I'd love to support an independent ISP, but there is none serving my area with 50+mbit/s speeds.
It is a reality in most places. I've looked for smaller ISPs in several areas where I've lived, and there is nothing. It's basically AT&T or Cox/Time-Warner or jump in the lake.
Telco's don't usually advertise "naked DSL." If you search hard enough it's out there.
Same goes for cable companies here in the states. For example Comcast you can buy your own modem then pay $42 a month for Internet when u subscribe to local cable channels for additional $15. You can also just subscribe to Internet for $60 sans local cable.
Further if you live in apartment complex an open wifi access point is the cheapest!
Further if you live in apartment complex an open wifi access point is the cheapest!
Be careful with this one, since a combination of some recent court cases could be used to argue that accessing an open access point is a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and result in penalties more serious than if you'd stolen a gift card and used it to buy Internet access (IANAL).
I have line-of-sight to our local water tower, though, so I was able to get a wireless internet connection and bypass everyone else. It's not super-high-speed, but I have 2.5 down and 1.5 up, and that's not too bad... and I have the moral satisfaction of not paying anything at all to either the cable companies or the telcos.