[saltcured]

Right, the capabilities were there. One question is what was realistic for an FBI agent relegated to the basement. I agree with the other poster that Mulder probably wouldn't receive government issued packet radios or even a laptop. He probably got an old IBM electric typewriter to go with his limbo office.

But, what was his pay? Could he have decided to equip himself, much like US servicemen were known to upgrade their own body armor, GPS, etc. in recent decades? The Lone Gunmen side characters surely must have known about all this stuff, and his character could have been informed of the options.

And, in the timeframe of the show, I know that US college professors and various "creatives" were buying the Apple PowerBook and using the online services I mentioned. They were not the executive class in terms of pay or prestige. But they saw the value, and prioritized the spend from their own modestly middle-class means.