| Satellite Internet connectivity is becoming | | | | customers. |
| more and more popular as the service comes | | | | |
| down in price, and increases its available | | | | Many satellite internet service providers are |
| market. Rural areas are traditionally the | | | | increasing the number of tech support as well |
| last to receive services such as Cable | | | | as contractors they have available in rural |
| Internet or DSL, so it is obvious why | | | | areas. This can reduce the amount of time it |
| satellite internet service is more popular in | | | | takes to receive tech support at the users |
| these areas and why satellite providers have | | | | home, as well as speed up market penetration |
| focused more attention on them. In this | | | | via installers in a given area. This is a big |
| article, we point out the main points you | | | | win for the company as well as users. |
| should consider when choosing a satellite | | | | |
| Internet provider. | | | | The Not So Good |
| | | | |
| The Good | | | | The speed of a given Internet connection is |
| | | | of great importance to most users, and this |
| Service level agreements offered by satellite | | | | can be somewhat of a disappointment to new |
| Internet services have gotten much better for | | | | satellite customers. While being much faster |
| the customer as the industry has grown. | | | | than dial-up, satellite internet is almost |
| Providers now service their own hardware and | | | | always slower than DSL and cable. This is |
| rely less on contractors, as well as often | | | | due to several factors, the primary being |
| include hardware upgrades and installation | | | | inherent latency in the satellite network. By |
| for free (or built into the monthly rate.). | | | | using compression protocols satellite service |
| This will be of benefit for a user even if | | | | can increase the speeds offered to customers, |
| there is no need for tech support as hardware | | | | but there is nothing that can be done about |
| upgrades are inevitable and a good service | | | | the lag that is caused by the fact that the |
| agreement can mitigate the cost. | | | | signal has to travel to a satellite in |
| | | | Earth's orbit. There is nothing can be done |
| Early in the life of satellite internet the | | | | to remove this latency entirely, but through |
| only available connection was one-way. This | | | | the use of certain protocols and proxy |
| required a proxy server, special software, | | | | servers the delay can be minimized. |
| and an additional phone line. On top of this | | | | |
| it was incredibly slow. This type of service | | | | Satellite internet requires additional |
| is almost completely gone, with a new two-way | | | | hardware over other services such as cable |
| offering quickly taking its place. The | | | | and DSL. Early satellite dishes were very |
| two-way connection is a great deal faster | | | | large and had to be set up outside a house in |
| than its one-way counterpart as well as | | | | the yard. As technology has grown, satellite |
| easier to install. | | | | dishes have gotten smaller. The larger dishes |
| | | | that were used for satellite television |
| Satellite providers are now working on | | | | cannot be used for Internet service today, |
| increasing the number of satellites they have | | | | and the newer dishes can be installed on a |
| access too in orbit. This will not only | | | | roof or window sill. There is still a cost |
| increase the market they can sell too, but | | | | associated with the hardware as well as the |
| could also add a level of redundancy that | | | | installation but it is a great deal lower |
| would benefit users as well. This can prevent | | | | than it used to be. |
| or at least reduce outages for many | | | | |