I'm writing a short article for a new (as-yet-unannounced) Web publication that's written for people new to broadband services. Think of your Uncle Ernie, the one who still hasn't figured out e-mail, but who has decided to dump the dialup.
I've been asked to write about Naked DSL (that is, no POTS or a dial tone, it is just for data). I want to explain how my very-novice- reader can get it, and why they might want to (or might NOT want to). The advantages seem fairly obvious; if you use a cell phone only or expect to use only VOIP, why pay more? But I'm not sure what the disadvantages are.
Ideally, I'll include some numbers reflecting the rates offered by the carriers. But it's surprisingly hard to figure that out, since most of the carriers' web sites insist that you give them your current phone number before they tell you anything... and of course I won't get any help from a provider on the other side of the country.
So I'd very much appreciate your help and anecdotes! You can certainly answer here (I'll check back frequently over the next few days; the article is due soon ), or write to me privately at esther at bitranch dot com.
Esther