[SamR]

I live in a small town, far from a big city, and I use AT&T. My package includes a LAN line, satellite TV (with a couple of premium channels), and DSL Internet that averages about 1.5 mbps. It costs me just under $100 a month.

My brother uses Hughes, because it is the only service available in his area. He pays around $70 per month just for Internet that rarely connects above 700 kbps, even though it was advertised to him at, I think, 1.5.

So, I would definitely exhaust all my choices. Some local ISPs offer a "wireless broadband" even in rural areas that gets around 1.5 and costs about $20 per month.