Practically everyone needs access to the Internet these days, whether it be for daily emailing and online shopping or the ability to research for information occasionally. If you fall within the large group of people who only use their Internet access on occasion, it may be in your best interest to consider the following five ways to get internet access cheap, or even completely free.
Free Services
Many service providers now offer a free service. You do not have to purchase anything at all to get the free deal, but you will be limited on the number of hours that you have access to the Internet. With most services, any excess used is charged around a dollar per hour. There may also be considerably more pop ups and advertisements with these free service plans.
This is a great option for anyone who goes online on very rare occasion, but if your Internet activity picks up you will need to consider some of the other options listed here.
Free Wi-Fi Access Points
If you have a laptop with Wi-Fi capabilities, you can go to many larger chain bookstores, restaurants, and coffee shops and hook into their Internet connection completely free. The only downside here is you have to sit at the location the entire time you are connected, which rules out accessing the Internet from home in this manner.
Even some smaller businesses are starting to offer free Wi-Fi connections. It is very common for dance studios and other places where people spend a lot of time in waiting rooms to offer this service.
Dial Up
While all of the free Internet services will offer dial up plans, there are other plans from these companies that offer more connection time each month at very low rates. Most companies will start at $4-5 per month and some may have limited number of hours you can be connected. For around $6 you should be able to get unlimited dial up access.
Shared Connections
If you have a friend, relative, or neighbor who is also interested in slashing the cost of their Internet access, consider connecting on one of your computers and sharing the access. This is a great option if you want a faster connection than what is offered with dial-up, but do not want to pay the high cost of those services. If you split the bill, you both can get the low cost Internet access you need.
Make sure you discuss how the time online will be split and ensure there will not be conflicts over wanting to be online at the same times. Most people can work out an easy arrangement, especially if one or both people only use the Internet occasionally.
Library Access
Virtually all public libraries offer access to the Internet through computers located within the library. The policies and expense will vary depending on location. It used to be that all libraries offered this service free of charge, but today some are starting to charge a small fee each time you use their computers. You will have to visit or call your local library to see what their policies are at this time.
Some libraries may now be offering free Wi-Fi connections as well, which would be a way to get around any fees for using their computers if you have a laptop.
Tags: business, connect, dial up, internet, internet connection