"A dialup v.90 PPP or SLIP account with at least 100 unrestricted hours per month of access time that includes at least 2 email accounts, 5 MB of web space, and Usenet access (removed 2/16/2003), free telephone-based technical support that is not a long-distance call, and is paid for by credit card or bank draft on a month-to-month basis - with no special conditions, combined with any other purchase or limited time discounts or promotional rates."

For purposes of the directory, the "Setup fee" is the amout in addition to a single month's fee that is required to activate an account. For instance, if an ISP requires "First and last month's payment in advance", the extra month's charge will appear as a setup fee. If an ISP's minimum term length to open an account is 3 months, then the 2nd and 3rd month's charges will be shown as a setup fee.

In some cases, we have adjusted the ISP's listed price to include a second email account or optional web space to bring their published price in line with the comparison account. If your needs are for less than the comparison account (for instance, you only need one email account), please review the account descriptions carefully.