Here's what you need: A laptop computer, credit card or cash and a trip to your local Verizon store.

They will sell you a 'card' that slides into your computer and fiddle with it for a bit.

You will then have about 300Kbps internet access through the Verizon cell phone system anywhere in the US that Verizon has service.

You will get a bill for about $150 for the card and fiddling around and, depending on whether you are an existing Verizon customer or not, about $50/month for unlimited internet access.

Not too complicated and the system actuall works! It may not be long before the huge dishes on the top of coaches are gone...and you save about $5K in the process.

The disadvantages to this configuration are two: First, you will need to have Verizon service where you are (usually not that big of a deal unless you are really in the boonies) and the service is slower than DSL or other fast computing speeds you may be used to.

The advantage is that you won't be like one of those guys in Maine or Georgia with a 12 foot satellite dish for sale along the road.