Back in the dotcom days when dial-up Internet connections were everywhere were free ISP offers inevitable. The deal was that of advertising, while the computer was considered to be connected to the Internet, and in return you get the internet connection for free.
The increase of more expensive and technically complex, broadband connections, but it has killed almost all of this business model. Some ISPs are free, but they are fighting. Only demographics, which are unwantedDial-up customers using today, making it almost impossible for them to advertise their inventory than they want to sell.
However, it differs considerably from country to country. In America, for example, free ISPs such as Juno and NetZero still holding market share, particularly thanks to its vast geographical distances between cities so that broadband is not practical in some places. AOL dial-up, although not free and not very good, even surprisingly dominantthe American market.
Many European countries, on the other side are in the middle of the broadband price war with some telecom providers like TalkTalk UK offers free broadband phone service as part of its strategy. This broadband is often of dubious quality and customer needs, subscribe to phone service with the provider, but in the hands of others, is not an intentional feature any advertising or paralysis of the services in a way that many ISP dialupdid.
However, in future we could in the direction of a return to free Internet service provider, with the advent of wireless networks. By sending radio signals, essentially free, except the cost of equipment, and as wireless technology improves, it will be cheaper, entire towns and villages, with wireless broadband coverage. E 'possible in the future, subscription-based providers might well die, to be replaced by local governments andDealing with the authorities, Internet access, in the same way as water and waste disposal.