While those in the US in big cities can get cheap broadband, rural customers are forced to choose between dial-up, and paying an arm and a leg for the worst service possible.

DSL wasn't available, and the local cable service provider wasn't interested in extending the cabling for its broadband service the three-tenths of a mile required to reach Rossey's house ? even if he paid the full $7,000 cost.

Rossey ended up signing a two-year, $450-per-month contract for a T1 line that delivers 1.44Mbit/sec. of bandwidth. He pays 10 times more than the cable provider would have charged and receives one quarter of the bandwidth.

Back a long time ago, phone service was this way - and providers were required to pay up to serve in their areas.