noscript will help. Flashblock is handy too, but noscript is going to make the biggest difference.
In terms of your connection, the big upcoming technology for rural internet is WiMAX. Deployments are happening across Canada and the US right now as well as overseas -- the big name that's stealing a lot of headlines for US wireless internet is
Clearwire.
You can check availability, but I'd try to avoid any sort of contract with them if you can; they haven't exactly been getting good reviews. Still, as long as you can get a signal it has to be better than dial-up.
A word of caution -- WiMAX is a near-LOS technology. If you're in a place that's relatively flat you may be able to pick up a signal from a tower several kilometers away, but if there's a lot of trees or hills surrounding you you might not get anything at all.