Satellite Internet Connection

[Terry Russell]

Where I live people often ask me if I have a telephone 'Out There' I do.

And the best I can squeeze out of it 19.2kps.

Does anyone reading this have any experience with satellite internet connections?

Speed
Reliability
Particular Vendor
Cost
Practicality

I know I can find a jillion links on the www but it is allways good to hear it first hand.

Thanks Terry

 

[jim farrelly]

just picked up wireless internet via sprint pcs. easy to use, easy to set up, and decent speed. faster than 56k, slower than dsl. drawback might be location. im in chicago metro area and works great. doesnt work as well when i go 90 miles north to the land of cheese. but, is functional.

 

[jim farrelly]

btw, in this market the cost is $60 a month for unlimited access

 

[graindart]

I think Jim's talking about Sprint PCS Vision service. Unfortunately Sprint isn't available in Montana, at least not around here. We have Verizon, and they have a similar internet access network in some markets, but aren't slated to upgrade the Montana networks for about another 2-3 years, so speeds are 14.4k (about 1/4 the speed of a normal landline modem).

As for satellite systems, I haven't owned one, thankfully I live in a city with cable internet available. I did do a lot of research back a year or two, before cable was available, and I've talked to a couple of homeowners that are located out in the booneys (when I was appraising their homes). Both of them had Direcway systems and said that they worked real well, with minimal problems. Direcway is the 2 way version of Hughes DirecPC offering, thereby not needing a phoneline at all. Besides Direcway, the only other 2 way satellite system that I know of is Starband. Either way, you're looking at about $400-$600 starup fees and $50-$80 / month fees. Kind of pricey, but I'd do it if my only other choice was 19k over a telephone line.