The `free' ISPs in the UK aren't really free. All local calls over here are charged by the minute, and these ISPs have a deal with the telcos to take a slice of that; so you're paying around 1 to 3 pennys per minute while you're online, but that's all. It is still a good idea to have a couple of spare accounts of that type in case your own ISP goes down temporarily, though. M.