# To Dopers: What does it cost to use the Internet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 27, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040 "2001-01-27T21:17:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/21 "2001-01-29T00:04:19Z")
Right now, nothing because I do a web site for a company & they pay for me if I do their site. Shucks, they just said they would pay for my DSL too, but I didn’t get it cause the phone comp wanted $200.00 to clean my lines. Cost right now about $59.00, cost with DSL $84.00 whoa! ---
**Author:** ![one\_last\_glass\_dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19b73/32.png) [@one\_last\_glass\_dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/one_last_glass_dear)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/22 "2001-01-29T03:27:10Z")
I’ve got FreeLane by Excite, but I’m thinking that Amex deal is sounding pretty good…I’ve got an Amex card. Hmmm…Right now mine is free and I’ve got the ad banner, and sometimes it can take a few minutes to finally get on, but at my income level, it sure beats nothing. I’m riding the Information Highway in a old beater but at least I can do the minimum limit… ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/23 "2001-01-29T07:52:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Doesn’t America have free ISPs? All it costs me is a little extra in electricity. My ISP doesn’t charge, and is usually easy to dial into. It won’t support websites itself, but there are ways of getting around that. Remember, there are no per-minute charges for local phone calls in the United States. You pay a flat rate for basic local service, and additional fees for upgraded services (call waiting, Caller ID, etc.) and per-minute charges for long distance calls. From what I understand (please correct me if I’m wrong), UK free ISPs get some (most?) of their revenue from British Telcom, which kicks back some of the per-minute phone use fees to the ISP. ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/24 "2001-01-29T08:21:34Z")
I pay 80DM (a little less than $40) p/month for unlimited access, including phone charges. I’m going to add in the 55DM (about $26) we pay for an ISDN line, because we wouldn’t have one, but for the internet, so that makes about $65 a month for us to use the net. There are free dial-ups here, but because local phone calls are so expensive and we use the internet constantly, it just wouldn’t be a good deal for us. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/25 "2001-01-29T09:42:25Z")
Well I use a free ISP called 3web and since I’m on my Grandparents phone and its a local call it costs me nothing. A cable connection though would cost about $40 a month… same with an ADSL line. If I got my own phone line (which might please my Grandparents for at least not tying up their line on the net) it would cost me $20 a month. I’m planning on getting cable soon though… just for the free month and pray I get a job before that runs out so I can keep it. ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/26 "2001-01-29T11:44:51Z")
Well, I used to have Bluelight (Yahoo free ISP), but have been unable to connect for two months, no matter what I do. So I have (temporarily, I hope) returned to The Evil Empire AOL. ☹ It works consistently, what can I say… So, currently $21.95 a month, plus $14.95 for the second phone line. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/27 "2001-01-29T16:26:37Z")
I pay $17.95 a month for unlimited time. My parents don’t pay anything because my brother works for the local ISP. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/28 "2001-01-29T16:35:46Z")
I have Comcast’s @home service (cable modem). I pay approx $41 per month. ---
**Author:** ![dustMagnate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/fbc32d/32.png) [@dustMagnate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dustMagnate)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040/29 "2001-01-29T16:49:08Z")
University sponsored connection (local ISP, buggy sometimes) at my home for $8.50/month or **$102/year** (with tax). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-dopers-what-does-it-cost-to-use-the-internet/52040.md?page=1)