Satellite Internet

For those that live in a rural area or in the boonies, your internet access is going to be severely limited. Yet, if you do not mind having no internet connection then you are probably not reading this. The way television is broadcast to rural areas is by satellite TV. So too is the internet in the same boat. You can now receive internet via satellite signals.

But maybe you already have access, well that’s great. Have you considered some of the options of satellite internet though? Did you know you can have satellite internet access on your boat perhaps? Or sent to your cottage? The options are endless. Fast and reliable, satellite internet is here to stay.

A satellite internet connection consists of a little more than just a modem. In fact it is a two way system. That is right, the system uses satellites in the sky for uplinks and downlinks of data, just like a television set would. You will have two modems instead of one, a satellite dish, and coaxial cables between the two objects.

What do you need for all this equipment to work? You need a clear view of the southern sky. Why do you need this clear view though? The satellites which carry the internet signal are based in the southern sky. Bad weather such as storms, heavy rain and snow can also affect your signal just like a television reception.

Satellite internet is not as fast as cable or DSL for that matter. It is faster than a dial up modem or phone line modem though. It is rated as being up to ten times faster. Cable is one hundred times faster than dial up, so you can judge for yourself just how fast it may be. It would be perfect like I said, if you had a nice boat and wanted to be able to connect from your boat. Another nice advantage is that satellite internet is always connected, unlike dial up connections. Your service is separated from the phone line as well, so you do not have to worry about missing any important calls you may receive.

Cable runs around 5Mbps and DSL coming in at top speeds of 3Mbps. Satellite internet service is a lot lower than that and gives you about 700 Kbps of data for download speed and only a small 128 Kbps upload speed.

Companies such as DirecWay and Starband offer satellite internet services. I am sure in the future the data speed will be comparable with that of landline connections. Everything is bound to become more advanced and well equipped with time. Service costs for this internet connection run around $60 dollars US per month. In fact, you must live in the United States at this point in time to receive internet access via satellite connection.

So is it all worth it? Do you need a satellite connection? If you live in a rural area and would like access I would say yes it is worth it if you can afford it. If you have a boat and want access, I would say yes it is worth it. With free email accounts, installation, and round the clock customer support, you will most likely enjoy the service.