Do you have older families members who are still paying big bucks every month for dial-up? A recent AOL financial filing showed five million people still pay $25 or more each month! For dial-up!!

Elders may not know how easy it is to switch to high-speed Internet. Many cable companies offer entry-level cable modem service starting at $15-$25 month. However, this may not be an option in some remote rural communities.

Also, it's important to note that you can fire AOL and still keep your aol.com e-mail address. No need to throw away $300 annually anymore!

So If you have an older person in your life, just ask them, "Hey, are you still on AOL dial-up?" Help them out and save them some money.

The February 2010 issue of Consumer Reports has taken an in-depth look at the best cable, phone and Internet providers and named a little-known provider as its top pick.

WOW! gets the best overall score for cable, phone and telecom. Unfortunately, this underdog company only serves a select number of states in the Midwest. Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse come in second and third, respectively, when it comes to bundled Internet packages.

On the other end of the scale, the three worst providers are Charter, Mediacom and Comcast in win, place and show.

If you're tired of a huge cable or satellite bill, consider getting your TV over the Internet for free. Hulu.com is one site that offers free content. Clicker.com compiles listings of what's available across the web.

Meanwhile, when it comes to phone service, WOW! is again tops with its VoIP offering. Skype, meanwhile, nabs the second spot on the Consumer Reports tally. That's a big threat to the traditional landline companies.

Technology companies love to hook customers into contracts (euphemistically called "agreements") because they're scared of competition.

For example, both Clark and his executive producer Christa are Clear customers for high-speed Internet. Christa signed a contract, while Clark went the non-contract route.

Now Christa can't get a signal in the townhouse where she and her family are temporarily living. So she has to pay $5/month to suspend the service for an anticipated nine or 10 months while flood damage in her main residence is repaired.

Clark, meanwhile, is not getting a decent signal at his house. As a non-contract customer with Clear, all he had to do was cancel his service and go back to a cable or phone provider for high-speed Internet.

In related news, Verizon Wireless has raised its termination fee to $350. That's simply outrageous!

The key rule here is that when you sign up for any service -- cable, satellite, home phone -- you must find out if there's an "agreement." You may have to sort through 40 or more pages of legalese to find out like Clark recently did. Why can't we have a simple, one page plain English disclosure about this stuff?!

AT&T has been on the warpath against any effort to allow full freedom of speech using the Internet.

The Internet service provider wants to be able to restrict the flow of traffic and give preferential treatment to their own content, while degrading the experience of going to other content providers' sites. It's all about the money.

As always, an AT&T representative is welcome to come on air and dispute what Clark is saying.

Traditionally, you could just go to any website on a wired connection. But there are no rules governing the brave new world of wireless. This goes to the core of AT&T restricting what people can do with the iPhone.

Now, in the past, we've had AT&T reps come on the show and say that it's a capacity issue, that certain applications that clog bandwidth have been banned. But to Clark's mind, AT&T wants to interfere with free speech in order to make money. Period.

Last year, Clark told you that Time Warner had been experimenting with metered Internet. In doing so, the consumer champ believes the cable giant revealed a hidden agenda: To penalize those who wanted to watch free TV over the Internet -- instead of paying for monthly cable service.

Time Warner was set to charge $150/month for the kind of unlimited Internet access plan that would allow people to use Hulu, YouTube or any other free TV site.

But thanks to public outcry, the cable monopoly is now backing down from that plan.

Of course, Time Warner never admitted their motive behind metered Internet was to block access to free TV. But why wouldn't they want to? Such a move keeps the revenue coming from customers paying a monthly cable bill.

Meanwhile, Time Warner is rolling out a new technology called DOCSIS 3.0 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) in select markets. D3 essentially super-charges your Internet connection for a one-time fee of $6.85 per residence…and that would enable customers to access free TV over the Internet faster than ever before.

Monopolies can temporarily try to put a chokehold on the market, but technology ultimately wins out. We as Americans have been subject to higher service costs and shoddy customer service from the cable industry ever since an ill-fated 1977 Congressional decision allowed for the establishment of monopoly cable enterprises. But the march of technology will overcome prior political error.

As AT&T has begun offering TV in more and more markets, they're also exploring the idea of metered Internet usage in Nevada. Why? They want to discourage customers from firing them for TV and getting their content for free over the Internet. Clark previously railed about Time Warner doing the same thing.

Contrast this kind of approach with what you find in South Korea. Their Internet costs one-eighth what it does over here and it is typically 20 times faster than ours. For those under 35, they all use the Internet or Internet-enabled phones for free TV content. Nobody pays for TV.

Our Internet experience is one of the worst in the developed world. It's the monopolies that prevent our Internet experience from becoming robust and affordable. Hopefully, Clearwire will change all that.

In related news, many AT&T and Verizon customers are disconnecting their DSL service and going to cable modem. Look for the phone companies to do some serious discounting in an attempt to keep their customer base. For example, Verizon has a triple play bundle with a lead price of $79/month.

Meanwhile, Clark wants to remind you about the femtocell services that are available. Back in June, he discussed T-Mobile @ Home -- where for $10/month you can fire your phone company and get unlimited calling using your cell phone. Sprint has a similar thing called the Airave -- which he discussed in August -- but there's no unlimited calling with their service. Now Business Week reports that both AT&T and Verizon are planning to offer their own femtocells too. No word yet on the roll-out date.

Clark despises monopolies. He has a built-in prejudice that makes him automatically expect bad things from them. One of his least favorite monopolies (one that invariably gets some of the lowest score in customer satisfaction ratings) is the cable industry. Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, is not only raising rates by around 5%, but it's recently begun to put caps on the usage of its Comcast internet service. What's driving this? Clark says to look toward South Korea, which has one of the most advanced internet systems in the world. Younger Koreans no longer subscribe in large numbers to pay television. They watch TV mainly over the internet and on their advanced-technology media phones. Over the next year or two it will become much easier to get internet programming onto your big screen in this country as well. Comcast is very afraid of this trend, and has responded with this cap on internet usage. If you exceed their limit, they'll fire you as a customer. Time Warner Cable is looking at metering internet usage as well.

Even though the US pioneered the web, our internet capacity is now at third world standards. Other countries are much more advanced, and pricing reflects that. For example, Korea's ultra-fast high speed connection costs only about $7 a month - compare that to what you're paying here in the States! You can thank the cable monopolies for that.

Clark owes an apology to Vonage after he took a recent call from a woman who ripped them apart. This particular caller complained about several things, among them being hit with a larger cancellation fee than her contract called for. To add insult to injury, the call quality was so bad that the Vonage people couldn't hear her when she called to cancel her service!

But recently Clark learned that Comcast allegedly targeted Vonage customers for bad connections -- in the hopes that they would drop the service. Comcast denies the charge, saying that they simply didn't have enough broadband capacity. The two companies have since kissed and made up.

But this is not the first time Comcast has been accused of purposely ruining the experience of customers who use competing technologies.

Clark believes it's time for the FCC to issue clear rules that outlaw the kind of practices Comcast has been engaged in. As always, Comcast is free to come on the air and counter Clark's perceptions of the company.

Interestingly, the penny-pincher noticed that his MagicJack service works fine during the day with his Comcast connection. But at night, there's no way he can make a call.

Which again begs the question: Is this a question of (in)competence on Comcast's part -- or an instance of specific sabotage of a competing technology?

Clark recently told you about Time Warner's experimental metering plan for Internet service in Texas. They'll be charging their Lone Star State customers per kilobyte. Now AT&T has announced that such a plan is nearly inevitable for them.

What's going on here?

These ISPs are in terror of people skipping cable or satellite and going straight to the Internet to watch video content. Think about it: Comcast, too, has already admitted degrading the Internet experience of its customers when they watch a competitor's video content. Are you beginning to see a trend here?

Clark's staffers Kim and Joel both watch TV on the Internet, especially via Hulu.com. It's just like on-demand TV without having to pay for anything.

The cable/phone monopolies are trying to choke their Internet customers. This is a byproduct of our nation's shortsighted policy, where only the monopolies control the Internet.

There is, however, a hope on the horizon. Stay tuned for a new wireless way to get on the Internet that will bypass the cable/phone monopolies.

Meanwhile, Kiplinger's has crunched the numbers and figured out that downloading a single movie under Time Warner's metered Internet plan will cost you $30. Imagine if you download 10 movies per month!

They want to eliminate your freedom to watch video with a Time Warner Internet connection. Don't stand for it; anytime an ISP tries to meter you, you need to take your business elsewhere!

Unlimited Internet use has become something of a given in modern life, whether you access via dial-up, DSL, cable modem or another way.

Until now.

Time Warner is launching an experiment in Texas with metered Internet. Much like your utilities, you'll be charged based on your usage.

Why are they trying out this "Dark Ages" approach? Clark believes the cable companies are terrified of people watching TV shows on the Internet for free. It completely demolishes their main business model.

But Time Warner doesn't have a chance with this experiment, according to Clark. This business model could only work if they were the sole provider of the Internet, but that's not the case. There are so many more choices coming, including WiMAX and even the wireless cards from cell carriers that are close to becoming cost-effective.

So if you're in the testing grounds in Texas, don't think you're a sitting duck. Just go to a monopoly phone company for Internet, even if that's the only other choice. At least they aren't metering!

The United States isn't even in the Top 10 worldwide when it comes to a good Internet experience -- we're 15th. Our Internet is slower, more expensive and less reliable than many other developed nations. We're even below some Third World countries! But new technologies coming into the market will blow things open and promise a much different experience -- without metering.

Microsoft has long trailed Google in the search market, which explains why they've been trying to buy Yahoo. By the numbers, Microsoft controls about 9% of the market, Yahoo controls around 20% and Google has 55%-60%.

In order to gain more market share, Microsoft will actually pay you to use them for search! Customers who make an online purchase after using their search engine become eligible for a cash back rebate from Microsoft. Clark has no idea how well this idea will pan out.

In related news, Google offers its own suite of free office software. Those same programs are also available in a free web-based version as well. Clark likes to see what Google has available from time to time on their site.

Finally, did you know that Microsoft Office is available outside the United States in select countries for only $3?! That's a huge difference from the $150-$500 we pay!

If you use AT&T for DSL service, did you know that the ISP reserves the right to block your access to a website if they don't like the content? That is a restriction of free speech. Under AT&T's terms of service, they have the right to read your e-mails, IMs and keep records of the websites you visit. When a reporter contacted them about their violation of net neutrality, AT&T said they'll remove the clause from their terms of service. But they had not done so when the reporter checked again several months later. Maybe now they'll finally remove it. More likely they'll just block your access to Clarkhoward.com when this information goes up on the website! But AT&T is not alone in what it's doing. Comcast also had a history of blocking customers' access to content they didn't like. What we need is a federal policy for net neutrality. ISPs simply sell you a service, they're not Big Brother!

A few weeks ago, Clark slammed Comcast for violating net neutrality and lying about it. After that debacle, the monopoly actually paid people to stack an FCC hearing room and lied about it again! Well, that was a real turning point because it fanned the flames of public outrage. Now the company has reached a deal with BitTorrent that ensures they won't degrade your Internet experience anymore. It took them a while to do the right thing, but they're finally doing it. Keep in mind that there's new tech coming in the industry that will break the cable/phone monopoly chokehold on the Internet. New wireless spectrum and WiMAX promises 10 times the speed of DSL or cable modems for less money. We Americans will no longer have to suffer through a Third World Internet experience!

The Comcast story just gets weirder and weirder by the moment. Clark recently told you that the cable monopoly has been violating Net neutrality by degrading your connection if you watch video they don't own or control. They claim they're doing so for network management reasons, but no one believes them.

The FCC recently held a hearing on Comcast's alleged infractions. The monopoly worried that the hearing room would be packed with opponents, so they actually paid people to go to the hearing and fill the seats. They were hiring extras to keep their opponents out of the room! When Clark first heard this, he really didn't believe Comcast could possibly be stacking the hearing room. But now the company admits to it. By that admission, Comcast is only bringing more attention to how it interferes with your freedom of speech.

Why would Comcast want to make it unpleasant for you to watch a competitor's content online? This is about money, plain and simple; the Internet is hurting their cable business because so much TV and movie content is now available online for free. That allows customers to either cut back on their cable package or eliminate it altogether. After the hearing, the FCC announced they'll come up with steps to discourage cable and Internet providers from behaving like this. Comcast, however, remains defiant and says the FCC doesn't have the right to do this. Clark will let you know how it all works out.

One final thought: It's very dangerous when any monopoly decides to be judge, jury and executioner in determining what content you can and can't see. Our government has to make a stand now. If Comcast gets away with treading on the Constitution, how soon before others follow?

The nation's largest cable company has now admitted that it's purposely degrading your Internet experience when you watch a competitor's video online. At first Comcast was not forthcoming about its practices, but now the company has fessed up in a federal filing. Clark invites a Comcast spokesperson to come on the show and explain how they can justify their actions. Their excuse is that they're trying to make sure your Internet experience is reliable. Huh? Clark is really scratching his head over that one. What they're really doing is purposely conspiring against your good experience by forcing you to their content -- especially their cable service.

If you pay Comcast, who are they to be judge, jury and executioner and prevent you from accessing what you want online? This goes back to the issue of Net neutrality. For example, the phone company is required to complete your call as dialed; they can't decide that there's not enough revenue in the call for them and just disconnect you. Net neutrality does not permit it. Likewise, Comcast can't infringe on your rights. Congress will soon have hearings to discuss the Internet Freedom Preservation Act. Comcast is essentially deciding what speech you can and can't access. Clark knows that the cable providers are monopolies. Yet he's not aware of any of the other cable monopolies engaging in this despicable behavior. This has got to be stopped. If it's not, how soon will it be before the others try to engage in this funny business too? Clark has never feared media companies getting bigger, but there have to be some rules of engagement for capitalism and a cop on the beat.

Do you hate legal mumbo-jumbo? Well, consumer reporter David Lazarus recently read through Time Warner's entire 3,000 word privacy policy and terms of service. What he discovered is that Time Warner reserves the right to track the Internet habits of its high-speed customers. This info includes what websites you visit, how long you spend on them and what e-commerce purchases you make. They can also read your personal e-mails, according to the terms of service. Time Warner is also allowed to disclose personally identifiable info about its customers to advertisers, direct mail operations and telemarketers for a price. A company spokesperson claims they're not doing all this just yet, but Clark wonders why Time Warner is even allowed to reserve the right to totally invade your privacy. And it's not only Time Warner that has these kinds of policies -- AT&T tracks very similar info on its customers and records their TV viewings habits. While it's never good to look reflexively to Washington for a solution, Clark believes in this case we need an ironclad privacy policy from Congress to protect the privacy of your viewing and surfing. After all, would the CEOs of Time Warner and AT&T -- or those on Capitol Hill -- like it if the public saw every one of their e-mails?

The nation's largest cable monopoly is at it again creating mischief in the marketplace. Comcast has been shutting down its customers' Internet service without notice when they use too much bandwidth. Comcast won't divulge what defines too much use -- either to customers or the media. They say it's a secret. Their arrogance illustrates the danger of allowing technology to be in the chokehold of monopolies. Here we are in United States, the place that brought the Internet to the world, and we're falling further behind in Internet use and speed. In Japan, you can surf about nine times faster and it's cheaper because they have competition in their marketplace. To add insult to injury, now we have clowns like Comcast refusing to explain their bandwidth limits. You'd think they're protecting some kind of national security secret. Clark has nothing but contempt for Comcast and the way the company is using its monopoly position to take away people's access to the 'Net. While other Internet service providers say they also reserve the right to do this, no one else has as far as Clark knows. These monopoly-enforced bandwidth caps run counter to the spirit of America. Monopolies keep the prices stubbornly high and leave innovation is stuck in the mud. But it's more than just our wallets that suffer; it also harms us as a country because we're no longer able to compete with other nations who have better and cheaper access to the Internet. Clark would love to hear from a Comcast spokesperson who wants to come on the show and explain the company's ridiculous position.

There are some new technological developments that Clark is very excited about. Say, for example, you want hi-speed internet. If you call your phone company to get it, you'll find out that you must purchase a landline as a prerequisite. The phone monopolies think they're smart pushing obsolete landline technology on consumers who want modern DSL. But the phone companies are just outsmarting themselves. When younger customers seek DSL, they don't even think about installing a phone line. They simply go through their cable companies and sidestep companies like AT&T and Verizon completely. So AT&T is now experimenting with offering what's called naked DSL that stands alone without having the requirement of a landline.

The Chicago Tribune reports AT&T will roll out a naked DSL trial service -- priced between $20 and $24 -- in Chicago; Austin, Texas; and Jacksonville, Florida. If it succeeds, look for it in other markets soon. Meanwhile, if you're a former Bell South (now AT&T) customer, you'll be eligible for naked DSL by December at the latest. That's as per a contractual agreement between the two companies. On another technological front, The New York Times reports that Time Warner is going to offer free DVRs in South Carolina that allow you to watch TV when you want -- only you can't skip the commercials like you would on TiVo. It's like renting your eyeballs, so to speak, to advertisers in return for free DVR service. Will this business model survive in the marketplace? Only time will tell.

Sunrocket, the internet phone service provider, is dead. People really let Clark have it on the Clark Stinks board for recommending them. Clark believed in them, but he lost money too when they suddenly folded. After a few days Sunrocket put up some referrals to new companies that will take on their former customers , but even with these referrals, it's risky. You just can't predict how long a company will stay in business. A lot of people are choosing to run for safe cover: the cable company. The problem is, internet phone service from cable is almost twice as expensive as the smaller start-ups. There's a new company called Ooma who are selling internet phone service for life for $399. But who knows how they're going to do down the road. Currently, Clark uses a service owned by Ebay called Skype, which costs $29 for an entire year of unlimited local and long distance. It's not as easy to use as Sunrocket, but they're backed by a big company.

There's another company called Grand Central that's getting some big backing from Google. This is for people who have several phones--a land line, a business line, a cell phone, etc. This service gives you one number, which rings all your lines at once, so you are always reachable. You can also hear the voice mail in real time, as it's being recorded so you can decide if you want to "pick up" or not. And the voice mail goes to one inbox. This will make life much simpler for those who like to stay reachable!

Here on the show we always give out free advice to you, the consumer. But did you know that we also get it back from our dedicated listeners? After receiving a tip from one such person, we've put up a list of FREE software that you can download from the internet. It's divided into dozens of areas of interest, so you can surf around easily to get software, books, games, free conference calling and so much more. While the quality of stuff that's free is all over the board, you can rest assured that none of it will cost you one thin dime. Bookmark the page...it just may come in handy.

AT&T has done something unethical. When they took over Bellsouth, as part of the deal they were forced to offer an inexpensive plan as one option. They did, offering a slower (768k) DSL connection at $10 per month. It's a great deal. But they hide the link to this service on the website, making it almost impossible to find if you don't know where to look! Well, Clark thinks this stinks, and wants you to know how to find the deal. Here's how:
This direct link will show you all the details:
http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=7690#10_basic
Or, navigate to it this way:

• Go to att.com
  
• Click "View Internet services"
  
• Scroll down page, and just above Terms and Conditions look for the text link that says "Term contract plans available"
  
• See "FastAccess DSL Lite with term agreement" and follow the instructions from there!

UPDATE: This offer expired at the end of 2008.

Competition is the greatest thing for the consumer. Monopolies cost way too much money for consumers and provide horrible service as well because of the lack of competitors. Clearwire is a great alternative internet provide that offers high speed wireless internet that bounces off of cell phone towers. They have over 2 dozen cities that they currently provide service for. Their customer base is up 160% year over year as well. When you purchase Clearwire, it takes all of about 15 seconds to install as well. Their goal is to cover about half of the United States in the next few years. Clearwire, in the cities that it exists in, provides that key third competitor to help drive prices down. Sprint is also rolling out a service that basically does what Clearwire does, so some cities could even see four competitors which could make internet prices lower in a hurry. (Editor's note: Some users have reported negative experiences with Clearwire.)

If you are an AOL customer and you’re trying to ditch the service, positive changes are coming your way. The company is making it possible to keep your AOL address without paying them anymore. AOL has realized that it’s losing market share by charging for overpriced dial-up. So, the company is starting a Yahoo-like format, which is more of a portal. People go there to get all kinds of information. AOL’s Instant Messenger program is also having difficulty because the other two main services – MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger – will soon be interoperable. You are going to have to ask to be switched to the free service, but it is supposed to happen in the next two months. So, get on it!

---

In other techie news, you can now get 15 months of VOIP from SunRocket for $199. That includes unlimited long distance calls in the U.S. and Canada and all of the enhanced voicemail and caller ID features. That equals out to a little more than $13 a month. If you need to call overseas, you can get unlimited calling to 30 countries for $299 a year. Another company, Skype, is offering free unlimited calling through the end of the year. So, there are some serious deals out there for you in this industry.

You may be getting a great deal on high-speed Internet access, but how long will that last? These companies are charging us way too much for access. Clark tells you how to get a deal from these companies. Listen up! Just remember to click on the link only once and disable your pop-up blocker by holding down your Control key.

Lots of Web users are surfing with high-speed connections these days. Dial-up is going the way of the Do-Do bird. As a result, AOL is now offering content for free. People have been abandoning the company because it costs so much to subscribe. So, the company is catching on and offering a Yahoo-type experience with portals and free content. The company is also offering free e-mail through its Instant Messenger site, aim.com. So, get your free account today. In other Net news, a third player is sneaking into the game. “Wireless Mesh” and “Wi-Max” are a few of the names used for this service. For the next 18 months or so, the two monopoly industries – cable and telephone – are going to dominate and gouge us. But after that, wireless will be available and it will bring the prices down.

Clark has been thinking of changing his high-speed Internet service because it’s getting so expensive. For most people it’s a two horse race, and Clark is one of those folks. Right now, it’s either the local monopoly phone company or the local monopoly cable company. Recently, the phone company cut the rates and he was about to switch, but he decided to call his current company first to see if they would offer him a better deal. He’s currently paying about $43 a month, which is outrageous. When he told the “customer retention specialist” that he was about to cancel, she offered him three months for $9.99 a month. She told him to call back again in 90 days to see if he could get the same deal. He was so excited about saving $100 in a four minute phone call that he told everyone. Then his Smart Money magazine arrived and knocked him down a notch. The issue, which is about saving on cable and Internet service, says not to take any three-month offers and to keep fighting for more. The reporter was able to get a discount on service for an entire year! Phone companies are also reducing costs, so you may want to consider switching companies all together, as Clark was about to do. Also, if you can, cut your home phone line to the minimum line cost. You don’t use it much anyway, thanks to cell phones, and you can usually get it down to between $17 and $20 a month total. Also, consider scaling back your cable or satellite service. Get just the broadcast channels. You may also be paying way too much for your cell phone service. Now that you can take your number with you, consider switching to Metro PCS or Cricket. They offer unlimited calling in your local area for one low price.

Who gets the spoils where you work? Is it the boss and executives, or is it the employees? The current drift in corporate America is that execs get huge bonuses while employees get coupons for a turkey or ham. Compensation packages for the corporate execs are growing while those for employees are shrinking. But that is not happening everywhere. The men who created Google are very focused on making sure the employees get rewarded whenever possible. The owners are worth about $7 billion, but, when it was time to hand out bonuses, they made sure that they received the same amount as everyone else - $1,566. Companies that romance their workers are more successful. It’s been proven, so make sure you’re treating your employees right.

There has been a shift on the Internet when it comes to search engines and the results people get these days. A research project by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that Americans assume that the results are always legitimate. But they are not. The listings at the top of the page usually have in tiny type, “sponsored sites,” or they have a different color background than the rest of the page. Turns out that only about 20 percent of people know that those listings not legitimate. That doesn’t mean the companies or listings are not real; it just means that the company paid to be at the top of the listings. So, look for advertisements and read through several links/sites before believing anything.

Clark has been reading about a new search engine that supposedly outperforms Google. That may be hard to believe, but clusty.com may have done it. Clark’s executive producer, Christa, has been testing the engine and she loves the way the site finds information and categorizes it. She said it may not be as thorough as Google, but it’s a good place to “filter” your results. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, go to Google next. Clusty is in the beta stage right now, but let us know what you think.

More and more Americans are signing up for high speed Internet access, which is great. But there is also an increased risk that someone will be able to get into your computer and change passwords or view your accounts. It can’t really happen with dial-up connections, but it’s a constant threat with high-speed access. According to abcnews.com, two out of three Internet users have no firewall system. A firewall is basically a software package that protects other people from hacking into your system. So, if you’re asking what a firewall is, you probably don’t have one. Check out the programs available on our Firewall Protection page and download one of them. Even if your ISP claims to offer firewall protection, you probably want to add your own as well.

---

In other Internet news, Comcast has limited the amount of time customers can spend online but it has chosen a very strange and unprofessional way to let customers know. Comcast used to advertise “unlimited use” for its customers, but now customers are limited to “acceptable use.” That would normally be fine, but Comcast does not define what “acceptable use” means. So, some Comcast customers are getting letters in the mail, saying they are spending too much time online. The company can then arbitrarily cut you off without explanation. So, if you get a letter, fire Comcast and switch companies immediately.

For the past two years, Clark has repeatedly and unmercifully made fun of AOL. The company has been charging people $24 a month and up for Internet service, and it’s really ruined their business. AOL has finally realized that its prices are just too high. So, it has started a cheaper service known as AOL Netscape that costs $9.99 a month. AOL now owns Netscape, a familiar name for many, so the company decided to keep it. They will be advertising it as a separate company, but you should know that AOL runs the service. Questions have come up about whether you would be able to keep your AOL address if you switch to Netscape. And, the latest word is that you will not be able to keep the address unless you sign up for AOL’s “Account Hold Plan,” which costs $2.95 a month. So, you will pay about $13 total for both. But you will still save about $120 a year with this program, regardless of whether you hold your e-mail or not. You can usually migrate people to your new e-mail address in about 90 days. And it’s a good idea to stick with one of the free Internet services, like Yahoo or Hotmail, because you don’t have to worry about switching addresses.

---

So, what if you have cable through one company, Internet through another and phone service through a third? It can get pretty confusing. But the good news is that a new alternative is coming. Verizon, the wireless provider, has been testing a new high-speed wireless network service in certain cities. You can pop open your computer and have an instant connection to the Internet at very good speeds. Verizon is going to roll it out across the country over the next 18 months. They are charging $79 a month right now, which Clark thinks is a bit much. He says $59 would be more reasonable. Other competitors in the cell phone market will probably follow in Verizon’s footsteps, so the price is sure to go down.