Nov
14
Satellite Internet: The Good and the Bad
November 14, 2006 |
The New York Times features an article on internet access in rural areas today, with a focus on satellite services such as HughesNet, StarBand and WildBlue. Apparently, the three big ones are doing quite well for themselves:
Both Hughes and WildBlue, however, will launch satellites in the coming months equipped with new technology to provide access to far more customers. Since these cost about $250 million each, a lot more customers will be needed to pay for them.
There is one thing the article doesn’t mention, though, that makes sattelite internet a bit less endearing: usage restrictions.
Both HughesNet and WildBlue have them. HughesNet discloses them upfront, but to find the one for WildBlue, you have to dig into the legalese of their customer agreement and then click on the link to their Fair Access Policy, where you will find the following table (these are the numbers for their ValuePak, SelectPak and ProPak, :
Upload Threshold (MB) 2,300; 3,000; 5,000
Download Threshold (MB) 7,500; 12,000; 17,000
Wouldn’t be nice if you knew that before you buy? After you hit that threshold, which seems like it is a rolling threshold over the last 30 days, your bandwith will be cut down substantially to 128down/28up.
Well, at least you don’t get shut off, but forget about using a movie download service or an all-you-can-eat music plan if you are planning to actually use those…
Update: Starband doesn’t actually list any limits on its website as far as I can see.
TS2 VSAT Satellite Internet Provider. Defence Satellite Technology. VSAT broadband access to the internet. Internet in Baghdad, Balad, Tallil Air Base, Camp Habbaniyah, Kirkuk for United States Marine Corps (USMC).
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bulls___t, I’m so angry you will have to forgive me. Starband limit is 976point6mg per seven days. I have starband and I am looking to change. I’m not sure if they treat different customers differently but I am unhappy with the limit placed on my service. By the way the numbers I am submiting are not calculated by me they are available on starband’s website after you log in as a customer. I am assuming of course that you are interested in the complete truth. Terry
If you send an answer be sure to identify it in the about line.
I’m sorry for not telling that I pay $49.95 a month. I would be willing to pay more. Starband will not allow me to upgrade. The seller will though. Well above a hundred dollars a month and with an obligation to stay. I have a starband 481 made by Gilat. For which I paid well over $500. Starband wants me to buy a new modem and sign a one year contract then pay well over twice what I am paying now.
Terry
We had wild blue, We liked the speed & didn’t know about the usage threshold,till close to the end of our 30 day trial period. When we found out how it realy works we had it removed. We live in a rural area & until something better than that comes along we’ll stay with dial up. Who know’s maybe the plans will get better like they have with cell phone’s
That’s right, people who run large networks or host any kind of databases should always have some sort of satellite internet backup connection at the ready in case their land based connection goes down. My clients rely on my network to deliver them a lot of crucial information for their business and when theirs suffer, mine does too. I still know of one company that relies on a dial up connection for backup internet. Ah whoops! That’s got to be frustrating working in that support center. Most mobile ISP’s offer businesses small and large good deals on back up plans so it’s kind of asinine not to look into this kind of backup connection.