Tell me about your cell for $8 bucks a month. Indeed, we sound very similar, including last in line for power to get re-connected. Last February, we had a lovely ice storm. No power for 4 days (could’ve easily gone longer), bought a generator from Home Depot for heat to prevent water pipes from freezing. It was the coldest weeks of that winter. Lost power at 6pm Thursday, by Saturday 5 am, 34 degrees in the house. Got it up to 55 degrees after 4 hours of generator use to run the furnace.
Have you considered Hughes or other satellite internet? Has to be cheaper and faster.
I bought a cell phone and then used Cingular pay as you go minutes. Buy online, around $20, lasts me about three months, if you add more before they expire, remainder rolls over, so I average $7-9/month. This is a good plan for infrequent cell users, not for those who use the cell a lot.
No power for 5 days, ice storm.. ah the memories. Me too.
I’ve considered satellite. But I run a small server, need reliability, fixed IP and VPN. Not your normal profile for picking satellite. There is a way, but it requires a pretty hefty up front cost. I’ve been tempted, but I may be moving... Kinda stuck now.