I'll give you another 'possibility'.
Do you run Real Player? If you do it is most likely that. If not then it will be something along the lines above.
Real Player is a small icon on your status bar called Start Center. It is controlled to dial-up EVERYTIME you boot! It then gathers more information about you?????????
If you really need Real Player, uninstall the one you have, then get the free "basic" one from
www.Real.com but whatever you do do NOT check any boxes otherwise you will have dial-up included again and load of crap mail too. But, beware, just below where you uncheck the checked boxes - there are ANOTHER four, they are very craftily hidden. You need to uncheck them too.
Actually it is a bit of an evil prog this one and is under question in the US.