1 - The cable modem provider in my area has a worse reputation than the telco - 'and you want them to provide your internet reliably?' 2 - Many of the cable modem implementations have a serious security issue allowing anyone on the physical segment (usually in excess of 500 homes) to sniff anyone else's traffic. 3 - The cable modem implementations seem to have a problem with attenuation. The further you are from the head-end, the lower your speed. If your implementation is one of these, then the nerd at the house on the corner raves about the 300kbyte/sec downloads, but everyone else complains of 56k modem-ish speeds for 3x the price. 4 - A cable modem can be a nice thing - it sure is fast when it works right - but if you are concerned with reliable Internet service on a budget, a good 56k or ISDN connection may be a better value for you... And just remember that many of the people willing to spend that money for a cable modem will also be the customers who call every time a packet is dropped. Daniel W. Fitzpatrick, Sr., CEO Double D Network Services, Inc.