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Cheap Satellite Internet:

ISP 1 Internet Access - July 02, 2010

Satellite Internet connections employ the use of satellite dish, two modems for uplink and downlink respectively and coaxial cables connected between the dish and the modem to supply Internet services to end users (customers).

Satellite Internet connections do not depend on land wiring or installation of land cables to be operational. Rather it depends on space, thus making it ideal for people who cannot easily get cable Internet or dial up connections. People who constantly travel and are always on the move rely on satellite connections to get Internet service. In most cases, rural or remote areas do not have access to cable or DSL Internet connections simply because wiring does not get to these areas or the company supplying these services are too far off to provide any reasonable Internet access. People living in such areas usually have no other option than to fall back on satellite Internet connections.

Satellite Internet providers are becoming more popular as more people turn to broadband connections for Internet services. These service providers offer a wide reach and have developed a form of rural Internet access that gets to the most remote areas. Though satellite Internet has a broader coverage and does not rely on land cable installations, its speed is not very impressive. It is slower than cable Internet and download speed is not encouraging. Technology though is improving in the satellite industry and different forms of high speed satellite technology are now available that provide faster Internet services to customers.

It is advisable to have other forms of Internet services at your disposal in addition to your satellite Internet as the speed at peak periods may be quite slow and frustrating. Bad weather conditions also affects satellite Internet connections and repairs to faulty equipment may be quite slow in coming if you live in a rural community far removed from the urban areas. Optimal speed variations for satellite Internet connections in general ranges between 700kbps and 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds may get as high as 256kbps.

Satellite Internet is quite costly to obtain if you compare prices with other forms of high speed Internet connections such as DSL or cable Internet. Equipment costs at the initial stage take up a large chunk of the total amount needed to fully connect to a satellite network but prices vary depending on the service provider and the type of service plan you want to subscribe to. Total costs for obtaining a satellite Internet connection range from four hundred dollars to six hundred dollars with monthly subscriptions varying from sixty dollars to eighty dollars depending on the service plan you desire.

There are many companies that provide satellite Internet connections for consumers. The main satellite Internet service provider based in the United States is HughesNet, with other service providers such as WildBlue, SkyWay and StarBand providing healthy competition and optional services for customers. Each satellite Internet provider has its own unique advantages and particular disadvantages, based on availability of service, upload and download speeds, pricing and quality of service all year round. HughesNet for example has the widest coverage area in forty eight states located in the United States combined with the fastest service plans available, but most customer support is based outside of the United States and they require a minimum of twenty four months subscription. On the other hand WildBlue has its customer support representatives based in the United States and they offer reasonably high Fair Access Policy (FAP) limits per month which allow for larger download daily downloads.

Overall, satellite Internet connections provide Internet services for people who live in remote areas and are not able to access the more urban suited Internet services such as cable Internet which are relatively faster. Although satellite Internet connections may be quite slow, they have much wider coverage and reach a broader spectrum of customers as opposed to the more restrictive Internet services like the DSL or high speed cable connections. Technology improves daily and different ways to increase upload and download speeds of satellite Internet connections are being conceived. Satellite Internet services are adapted to mobile use but this area of service is still quite erratic as it is not easy to aim mobile devices at a satellite. The use of antennas has helped to maintain stable Internet connections in these mobile devices but this kind of connection is erratic at best.

Satellite Internet Alternatives:

You have several options when choosing a broadband Internet service provider.

Broadband DSL, High Speed Cable, Wireless Satellite or Cellular Mobile Broadband Internet access is rapidly surpassing Dial Up Access as the most common way to connect to the Internet.

Your Internet connection is made with the service provider via special hardware interfaces using television cable, DSL telephone lines, satellite dish, wireless interface, or a combination.

High speed broadband Internet access is now available in most areas at a reasonable monthly cost of around $20 to $60.

Cable or DSL broadband high speed Internet service is available in many areas and usually the cheapest solution. Satellite or wireless high speed Internet service is available in most areas, but costs a little more.

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