Orygun: For years I had a second phone line at 56K until cable became available. The extra line with all the various taxes, levies, fees etc. wound up costing me an extra $15/month. The cable internet costs $39/month, so it costs me(net) an extra 24 bucks.
I have a DSL line in my office and find it prohibitively slow for many downloads, streaming videos and audio. For me, the added charge is worth it. I suspect,though, the cost of all these services will eventual decline as the public becomes more infuriated with these ever increasing costs. This was not the anticipated result of deregulation and the politicians will no doubt see the shit hit the fan on this one.
I have also heard that there is a company (whose name escapes me at the moment) that has the ability to vastly improve the flow through copper lines. The more competion/the more players entering the field will inevitably lead to lower prices. For the moment I suspect the government is orchestrating the transition from the old guard telecom companies to the innovators in order to avoid a lot more damage. Once the "last mile" opens up, we can expect cheap, universal access.
Exactly when? Your guess is as good as mine...probably better!
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