Satellite Dishes Provide Orbiting Internet Access?
A satellite dish can make the difference between living in
isolation and keeping pace with the rest of the world. By using a
satellite dish to connect to the internet, people living in
geographic areas where there is no phone or cable service can
telecommute, do research, and keep up with the latest news.
How it Works
A dish installer aims a small satellite dish about four feet in
diameter at a precise angle to optimize satellite reception. A
satellite ISP--internet service provider-- charges customers a
monthly fee to relay signals from orbiting information stations to
the client’s satellite dish where it travels via wiring to the
in-house modem, initializing internet service.
Advantages
Satellite internet access can be considerably faster online than
a dial-up telephone connection, and it is as fast or faster than a
DSL--digital subscriber line--cable connection. Satellite ISPs
rarely go offline like dial-up or DSL providers do.
Cost
The equipment for satellite reception, including the receiver
dish and the modem, are an up-front purchase that consumers must
make before buying monthly service. The initial cash outlay,
therefore, can be prohibitive, with many providers charging between
$500 and $1000 for equipment. Monthly service fees vary according
to the level of internet access you select, and often providers
require you agree to a service contract that locks you in to a set
number of months with that provider.
Fair Access Policy
You may think that because you own the equipment, you have
unlimited access to the internet. This is not strictly true. The
majority of satellite ISPs voluntarily comply with the Fair Access
Policy that gives them the power to monitor and limit your usage of
shared satellite resources. If you habitually download or upload
files via satellite internet that total more than 150-200 megabytes
per day, your satellite ISP may limit your access for few days to
let you know that you are using more than your share of access
time.
Consumers utilize satellite dishes for television access as
well; however each separate service, TV or internet, requires a
dedicated dish. A satellite dish enables you to tap into a large
spectrum of international networks.