Satellite internet: the next big thing in the race for faster broadband

The million-dollar question nowadays is, will satellite internet ever stand a chance at becoming the best choice for broadband connectivity. Most people living in the United States have access to some kind of terrestrial internet connection network. No doubt, these choices are faster at the moment as well.

However, so many of us are turning towards wire-free options. It’s the time of Wi-Fi or wireless technology, which allows the flexibility of taking the connection with you everywhere you go. It’s something similar to mobile broadband but with faster speeds, unlimited data, and reliable connectivity.

Every year, more households in America turn towards satellite internet. We aren’t just referring to rural area residents. People throughout the country are shifting towards satellite broadband for some solid reasons.

Satellite internet companies like HughesNet and Viasat are bringing more to the table with high-speed connections and affordable rates. For example, HughesNet internet plans are customized in a way to bring consistent bandwidth and price to every customer, regardless of their location.

How does a satellite connection work?

A satellite internet connection works with a satellite dish antenna and a modem/router. The data is sent between them through radio signal transmission. Since the satellite roaming around the earth is at quite some distance from the ground, the signals can get delayed during transmission. Any such delay will cause latency, which is not good for any broadband connection.

What’s new is that satellite construction companies are trying to come with low-orbit satellites that will roam closer to the earth. It will cause less latency, which in turn will reduce satellite internet costs because more customers will start investing in the technology. Satellite internet will truly become a broadband connectivity provider.

What are the advantages of satellite internet?

To start, it is literally available everywhere. Wherever you presently are and wherever you’re planning to go, you will find access to satellite internet. It covers the whole of America. Most internet service providers would like to offer some sort of fixed/wired connection. But, the infrastructure for cable or fiber networks is not available everywhere.

Satellite companies like HughesNet offer a chance to all those customers who are tired of the old-school, wired ways. So, a view of the southern sky is all that you need. It will enable you to receive HughesNet signals.

Why is the infrastructure still missing?

The truth is that it costs too much. A single fiber-optic wire/cable can cost thousands of U.S dollars. This makes it near impossible for the deployment of the facility. The Federal Government is trying to bring these changes to rural locations for now, but these initiatives take a long time. And the implementation process afterward is a lengthy one.

Terrestrial companies don’t see such investments as fruitful. That’s why they don’t bring their services to rural locations. They calculate the return on investment, and when the results don’t match, they simply give up on low-density remote locations.

Satellite connection is much faster than Dial-up and DSL

Satellite internet connections are much faster and reliable than the age-old dial-up connections. While many people wrongly believe that that satellite internet is slow, it’s not the case. HughesNet internet connection is almost 50 times faster. It is one of the biggest reasons why rural area residents have shifted to satellite broadband, and more are following the example.

DSL was another reasonable choice for people living in rural districts. However, it is not available at all remote locations. That is another drawback for the rural area dwellers.

It is not dependent on the land’s geography

Imagine you are living around the coastal area, close to the sea. With a house near the beach, you cannot access any terrestrial network. Or, imagine working on an island at the lighthouse. You are completely cut-off from the mainland, with no possibility of any land-based telecom services. Or, you can be surrounded by a mountain range. These are all physical barriers, which can cause great hindrance.

It is where satellite internet comes to play. It is not dependent on anything except for a clear view of the sky. Add to this the ever-advancing satellite technology, and you have the recipe for the perfect solution to all your internet problems.

Most of the rural areas in the developed world and some major areas of the developing countries have limited or no access to optimum telecommunication services. The importance of these dawned on governments around the world during the ongoing pandemic. Satellite internet is practically the only viable solution that can help by providing connectivity to those in need.

Problems that satellite internet is facing at the moment

Everything’s not perfect for satellite customers for now. We do hope to see some radical changes shortly once higher internet capacity and low-orbit satellites are launched in space. At the moment, satellite technology is more expensive than its terrestrial counterparts.

One reason behind it is that there aren’t enough satellite customers at present. Another reason is that the satellite equipment is much expensive than any other kind. HughesNet offers a free satellite dish antenna to all of its new customers. The standard installation is free as well for all customers who lease the built-in Wi-Fi modem/router.

Another reason why satellite internet customers suffer is the problem with data limits. The amount of data available with satellite internet plans is limited. Your access would either be blocked or, like with HughesNet, you will keep getting internet connectivity at slow speeds. For example, the usual download speed for HughesNet is 25 Mbps. This download speed will be reduced to 1 to 3 Mbps if you exceed your monthly data limit.

Many internet connection providers fail to provide their advertised services. HughesNet, however, is among those few which do provide good download speeds. It ranks very high in the FCC rating for broadbands offering approximately the same download speeds as they advertise.

To wrap it all up, for now, satellite internet is nothing short of a miracle for rural area residents. The satellite connections have improved a lot over the last decade. There are various plans available that can cater to a multitude of varying requirements. For questions and queries, you can always contact HughesNet customer services.