Satellite Broadband (Not)

Live in a rural area with bad phone lines and no cable or DSL? Desparate for high-speed internet? Considering satellite?

I wouldn't take the plunge if I were you. Speaking from experience, I have both satellite and wireless (cell phone) internet access because I fall into the category listed above. My services are Verizon National Access (non-broadband) and Hughes Satellite Service (Broadband, or so they say).

The Verizon service costs me $60/month for unlimited access, and Hughes costs me $70/month for the medium plan of projected 1MB download and 200KB upload speeds.

So I pay $130/month for internet access. What do I get for this money?

Verizon gives me an "air card" that works on one computer at a time, or that can be plugged into a Kyocera router to create a wireless network. The speeds are good, but not broadband - typically around 100KB, which is better than the 18K my miserable phone lines allow with dialup. The router is at home, so I can use it there for all my PC's to access the wireless network, but when I take the card with me, my house is without internet. Verizon has no plans to change this.

So I fell for the Hughesnet ads, which are very attractive, with happily grinning people using their "broadband" from the high desert or a mountaintop, or an ocean island. This would be my home high-speed connection, and I would use my Verizon on the road.

The reality? I use my Verizon card at home almost as much as my Hughesnet.

Let's talk about Hughesnet Satellite:

1 - The speed at the practical end - my computer browser - is comparable to good dialup. Browser refreshes are moderate, and downloads are occasionally fast, but generally marginal. Visitors that check their email or other web sites at my house ask me "Don't you have broadband?"

2 - Storms, whether local or remote, can cause satellite failure. So the weather often causes loss of connection

3 - Multiple use in the house over the wireless connection causes the speed to vary dramatically. When my daughter is downloading songs and videos, I often have to ask her to stop so I can get my work done.

4 - Frequent browser refresh slowdowns are met with only one response from Hughesnet technical support: "run a satellite speed test". If the speed indicated by the test falls within the acceptable range (about 800K for 1MB service), they say "we can't do anything for you".

** note that I am semi-literate about PC's, and know how to clear cache, remove temporary files, and set cache sizes for optimal performance. I can also ensure that no wireless devices are interfering with the router. So why would 800K satellite speed appear as 24K dialup speed on my browser, and if there is an explanation, why can't Hughenet clue me in?

5 - There is a nasty little piece of Hughesnet policy called "fair use". This limits your downloads within short periods of time, say with network delivered movies like those provided by NetFlix. The first time we tried this service we made it 3/4 way through a good movie when we lost service. Nothing I tried worked, so the next day I called Hughesnet. It seems when I access movies I am "hogging" the shared bandwidth, so after 350MB Hughesnet "limits" my account for 24 hours. They will not reset it for any reason.

So there in a nutshell I have listed 5 reasons that I would not sign up for Hughesnet again if given the chance, knowing what I now do. Since I am on a 2-year contract with 1 year to go, I have no option but to pay my $70/month for another year.

Talking with other satellite users I have deteremined that my experience is not uncommon for satellite, regardless of the provider.

Therefore, I recommend that if you really need internet access because you have no cable or DSL and your dialup is useless, that you consider Verizon or another wireless provider, and skip the satellite for now.

My prediction is that you will hate satellite as I do. Not dislike it. Hate it.

If you experience what I have, you will get:
1 - dial up-like browser refreshes for the most part, regardless of indicated satellite "speed"
2 - interruption from storms or even cloudy skies
3 - slow response when others in your house access the internet at the same time as you
4 - low or no satisfaction from your technical "support" team
5 - hard limits on the amount of data you can download, jeopardizing attempts to watch videos or use "movies from your PC" services such as those offered by NetFlix.

If you choose to take the risk and sign up for satellite service, please feel free to commiserate with me by email or blog response after you have had a few weeks to experience internet access HELL