Satellite Internet

[countysky]

Hey everyone

I just moved out to the country and I'm trying to figure out which satellite internet service provider I should choose. Right now it's pretty much between SkyWay, Wild Blue, and DirecWay. Anybody know which I should choose, or if there's a better service I'm overlooking??? Right now I'm using the internet at work, but I've got to get hooked up at home - I'm too much of a Youtube junkie!!!!

Thanks

-Jared

 

[rcdallas]

I've installed quite a few Wildblue Systems.... thus my answer maybe a bit biased, but look into this, upfront costs, equipment costs, installation costs, monthly costs, contracts, etc.

I think Wildblue maybe the best of both worlds and you can combine with Dish Network on one bill.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Dishstore now sells Wild Blue. $199 installation, and then $49/69/79 depending on the speed package.

 

[rcdallas]

I think I recall Starband you have to end up paying like $400 or so for the system before its even installed.

 

[aegrotatio]

You can get WildBlue through your local NRTC cooperative throughout most of the USA.
I was able to view some data on the WildBlue system and it's very competitive, if not better, than the alternative satellite internet providers.
For one thing, there is an *enormous* amount of bandwidth available for WildBlue due to the sheer number of local spot-beams and dedicated uplinks for each spot beam.
Business-wise, they don't oversell bandwidth so you won't end up on a beam with oversold capacity, but that also means you can be on a waiting list in a popular area.
If you search for WildBlue support forums on the Internet you can find lots of data on their system that can help you make an informed choice. One of those choices might depend on the fact that its competitors don't have as much publically-knowable information as WildBlue does.

It also happens to be most affordable and I think the dishes look cool in their blue paint.

I don't know when or if Hughes offers Ka-band but their dishes are much larger than the WildBlue dishes, if that's the sort of thing you worry about in your satellite dish. WildBlue is a Ka-band exclusively, and having one system platform has to make things cheaper to run as a business and thus for the customer.

 

[Stargazer]

There is FAP with all satellite providers (except maybe SkyWay in which I heard that they had longterm issues with their satellites). If you use too much bandwidth within a month they supposedly cut you back to dialup speeds on one of the services, they all cut you way back if you go over.