Until I got connected to the right resources, it was frustrating trying to find out who the internet service providers in my area were. I didn’t realize that just because a company was running advertisements on the television in my market didn’t mean that they necessarily offered service directly to my address. After making a few phone calls to the 800 numbers listed on the commercials and being told they didn’t provide service to my neighborhood, a friend of mine told me about a website that reviewed the top ISPs in the country. On one of the pages was a listing of these providers like AT&T, Verizon and Qwest, along with the states their networks reached. I located two providers that were listed in my state, and the web page provided a link where I could check availability. Within moments I had a short list of viable providers with whom I could compare to my local cable company for service.
The company I decided to go with was Verizon. The current DSL ISP bundles that Verizon is offering were just right for me. With basic service starting at $19.99 a month along with a guaranteed price for life if I signed a two year agreement, I was hooked. They threw in a free modem for their new online customers. There were three speeds available — 1, 3, and 7 Mbps. The 3 and 7 speeds also had available double play bundles which I was extremely interested in, and I got an additional $60 off plus free WiFi.