broadband availability

How come people 2 blocks from me have a boat dock in their backyard?
How come people 5 miles from me have golf course, but I don't?

Seriously, the answer to your first question should be clear: because
they are currently not interested in serving your area. It's
economics and they've decided, for whatever reason, that it's not a
priority to serve your area. They are not required to do so and,
until it becomes in their economic best interest to do so, they won't.
Keep writing to them expressing your interest, but stop with the
demands.

I have a solution for you, however. If you're willing to fund the
wiring from 5-miles away to your house, I'm sure Verizon would work
something out with you. What? You're not willing to put up that kind
of money? Then you can't possibly want broadband THAT badly.

As for why your computer locks up, it'd be impossible for anyone to
say without taking a look.

This all said, they should show you the courtesy of responding to your
e-mails. However, I'd expect them to be simply "We are not serving
your area at this time, but we are always looking to expand our
service. If, in the future, we serve your area, we hope that you'll
be a customer." What else can they say?

Maybe cuz they don't cover your area yet.
For a long time everyone within 20 miles of my area could get
Cingular. Cingular even built a call center in this area, but its own
employees could not get their service. They just didn't cover this
region.