Satellite Internet Can Help Connect People in Rural Areas

One of the most difficult things for rural consumers is to gain access to reliable, fast internet at an affordable price. Traditional cable internet requires customers to be within a certain range of the main office to establish a connection, which just isn’t possible in a lot of rural areas. It isn’t cost effective for them to run lines out into rural areas. It’s unfortunate, but understandable from a business sense. Satellite internet seeks to solve this by providing a way for anyone, anywhere to establish a connection to the internet. This is done by using a satellite dish, which is set up at the customer’s house, for sending and receiving data with the internet provider. This means that no one is going to be denied access from the crucial resource that is the internet. 

Benefits of Satellite Internet

The most immediate benefit of satellite internet is that consumers don’t need to worry about their proximity relative to the service provider. Satellite internet can be set up in any location so long as there is a place to mount a satellite with a relatively unobstructed view of the sky. As long as a link can be established between the satellite dish and the provider, internet service can be provided.

Installing satellite internet is much less expensive than installing fiber optic or other internet cables to a rural location. It’s much faster than old-fashioned dial-up internet service and can be set up in a matter of hours rather than days. Satellite internet connections can even maintain speeds of up to 100 Mbps depending on the weather conditions.

Disadvantages of Satellite Internet

There are a couple of disadvantages to using satellite internet, mainly that you need a space to install a satellite dish, and that the service quality is dependent on atmospheric conditions. To establish a connection, the satellite dish needs a clear line of sight to the orbital satellites that are providing data. This means that on particularly overcast or stormy days, users may experience intermittent service outages. Consumers who live in areas with tumultuous weather should be aware of this drawback before deciding to go with satellite internet.

It’s also important to have a space to mount the satellite dish. The best location to mount a satellite dish is on a rooftop or clearing near the property, so make sure that there is adequate space before investing in satellite internet service. Most satellite internet providers can have trained technicians come and install the satellite dish for you, so check with the provider about this service before making a choice.

Satellite Internet Providers

There are a lot of satellite internet providers on the market today, though choices may vary depending on location. Some of the biggest names are Spectrum Internet, DirecTV, and Dish Network. They each offer satellite internet plans at a variety of price points, with different data plans and caps for each. Some offer unlimited data for a higher price, though most of them allow you to customize your plan to include only the amount of data that you think you will use per month. It’s important to know how much data will be used before selecting a plan, as this can greatly impact the final price of the service.