Internet technology has come a long way since the days of 20 kbps dial-up access, when you had to cross your fingers and wait through a series of buzzes and beeps in the hopes that they would end in a computerized voice welcoming you online and informing you you’d got mail. Then came the much faster DSL and cable, which bid farewell to the days when you had to sign off to make a phone call, and, with the help of wireless routers, ushered in the taking-your-laptop-to-the-coffee-shop era. Now Internet access has been opened up to the truly secluded and nomadic among us, with the advent of satellite Internet.
While DSL and cable remain the fastest choices, satellite Internet is an excellent option for people living in remote areas where terrestrial access is not available, and for people who move around a lot. Broadband Internet access via geostationary satellite is available almost worldwide, extending service to sea vessels as well as land vehicles. This is good news if you live on a boat or like to roam the country in your mobile home. For people located at extreme latitudes, similar but slower service is available through Low Earth Orbit Satellites, whose coverage reaches even the polar regions.
Satellite Internet can be received almost anywhere because it doesn’t depend on cables or wires. But there is other equipment that is needed in order to receive service. A satellite dish, modems for uploading and downloading data from the satellite, and a compatible computer system are all necessary to decode and display the data transmitted by satellite Internet networks.
When deciding if satellite Internet is for you, there are a few questions you should ask yourself:
1. “Do I live in a remote area where cable and DSL are not available?” If so, then you might want to take advantage of satellite broadband services, which are available almost anywhere in the northern hemisphere where you have an unobstructed view of the southern sky. Although satellite does not reach the super-fast speeds of DSL and cable, it is much faster than dial-up, and you don’t have to invest in an additional phone line.
2. “Do I live in a place with a mild climate?” If you often experience extreme weather conditions where you live, you might want to think twice before signing up for satellite Internet. One drawback to this technology is susceptibility to signal loss due to precipitation, be it snow or heavy rain. Different systems encounter worse technical problems, such as latency and rain fade, than others, so do your research to find out which system is most compatible with the climate you live in before making a commitment.
3. “Does my lifestyle require me to be constantly on the go?” Portable satellite options provide a perfect way for people to take the Internet with them as they travel. Many RVers use this technology to stay connected all across the country.
If you answered “yes” to the above questions, satellite Internet might be the right choice for you. In this fast-paced world of ever-expanding globalization, it is important to stay connected. Satellite Internet allows users to stay up to speed and in touch with people anywhere in the world, from anywhere in the world.
