Here are a few commets on high-speed Internet access:
-DSL is
not slow, unless maybe someone has a lousy provider or is in a relatively poor location (which is again just an indication of a lousy provider if they do not improve service to that location). I have had my DSL service since February 1999, and "they will pry my DSL modem from my cold, dead hands".
-Cable Internet
may be faster than some DSL lines at some times or locations, but if you value reliability, think back on how reliable your wired telephone service was, compared to how reliable any cable-TV service you have had has been. (I suspect your phone service was far more reliable. My DSL service has had maybe four outages of a couple of hours or so each total
in the last eight years.)
-Either DSL or cable Internet may be available without the associated phone/TV service; just call your local providers and ask.
-As others have said, wireless Internet service is much more expensive than the above options, and most likely has less consistent speed than DSL (though cable Internet has a reputation for speed problems in prime usage hours as well).
-The last time I asked, Verizon's high-speed cellular data service was US$80/month, unless you also have your phone with Verizon, then the data is $60/month. Verizon does, or did, also have a provision in their terms barring people from using their cellular data service as a home-based substitute (something like not allowing "substantially all data usage from the same cellular tower" or similar).
-Though I do not use either the phone or the data as my "only" source of service, I am having good luck with a Sprint service plan that is offered through employee referrals, along with a Pocket PC phone with built-in Internet browser that can also connect to my laptop computer. Search for "sero" on howardforums.com for the details. The plan is quite inexpensive.