High speed internet access is a luxury that a lot of people don’t have access to. This might come as quite a surprise for those living in large cities, but it’s anything but that for millions of Americans living out of the way and off the beaten path.
If you count yourself as a member of this group, there’s a good chance you’ve had your fair share of experience with this phenomenon. Telecommunications companies hem and haw about running a direct service line to your area for years, twiddling their thumbs while you remain disconnected from the world at large.
For those in this situation, one of the most popular solutions is satellite internet. Boasting large coverage areas and seemingly reasonable prices, satellite might seem like a good deal; but is it though? That’s what we’re here to find out.
Pros and cons of satellite internet
Today, we’re going to be discussing the pros and cons of satellite internet. Additionally, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best alternatives on offer. Once you’ve got all the fact, we’ll leave the decision in your hands!
Pro: widespread availability
One of the most compelling pros of satellite internet is its widespread availability. Satellite internet can be acquired with almost no regard to where you live.
This is a nigh-inescapable part of the discussion surrounding the pros and cons of satellite internet, often overshadowing some of the more glaring issues with satellite internet such as high latency and stringent upload/download limits.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that most residents of the U.S. are within the coverage areas of satellite internet providers, making it the only choice for some.
Con: download/upload limits and limited bandwidth
On the other hand, satellite internet often implies one thoroughly unpleasant truth: upload and download limits. Whether you use your internet connection for streaming, gaming or simply staying in touch with friends and family, if you’re connected to the internet via satellite, you’d better watch your data usage.
This negative effect can be ameliorated somewhat by purchasing a more expensive data plan, but that brings to light another point in the debate surrounding the pros and cons of satellite internet: pricing. We’ll get to that later, but for the moment, let’s take a look at another pro of satellite internet.
Additionally, satellite internet is also limited in terms of bandwidth speeds. Even with the benefit of a more expensive plan, most satellite internet providers simply are not able to provide bandwidth metrics to those provided by competitors.
Pro: 24/7 support
One area where satellite internet providers have a leg up over other alternatives is support. While many regional internet providers in rural areas have excellent customer service, others don’t. Ultimately, it’s little more than a toss up.
Satellite internet providers, on the other hand, have the resources to offer round-the-clock technical and billing support. It’s not highly personalized like the support you’ll receive from West Michigan Communications and many other small regional providers, but the support is generally reliable.
Con: high latency
Although casual internet browsers likely won’t be too dramatically affected by this caveat, those wondering whether or not satellite internet is good for gaming will be disappointed to learn that it simply isn’t.
Those connected to the internet via satellite are beholden to the fact that their data has to travel all the way a satellite in low earth orbit and back before being transmitted. Understandably, this takes quite some time, making it virtually impossible to play online multiplayer games on a satellite connection.
Pro: Rapid installation
In spite of the many drawbacks in the conversation surrounding the positives and negatives of satellite internet, one upside is the rapid installation. In most cases, a technician can install the necessary hardware in an afternoon, making this one of the most accessible forms of internet connectivity for residents of rural areas.
If this is a selling point for you, it might be a good idea to keep in mind the fact that many regional internet service providers also offer rapid installation services for comparably inexpensive fees. Do your research before you sign anything!
Con: susceptible to weather-related outages
Another major con of satellite internet is its susceptibility to inclement weather. Satellite internet connections are notorious for their vulnerability to the elements, with many users reporting complete or near-complete loss of internet access during storms and blizzards.
In addition to outages caused by interference with the satellite signal, satellite internet hardware is also vulnerable to damage caused by high winds, heavy snowfall and other weather events. This, in turn, often leads to long delays as service technicians struggle to repair damage incurred by large volumes of clients.
Satellite internet alternatives
While satellite internet might be the only available option in your area, there’s a good chance there are other options available that you just haven’t heard of yet.
One of the most popular options in recent years is the home cellular connection. Using preexisting cell towers, regional broadband providers can offer their clients a connection that is faster, cheaper and more reliable than satellite, often with improved support.
West Michigan communications is one excellent example of a regional ISP, but there are plenty more; do some research to find out which companies serve your current area of residence; chances are their service is better than satellite!