If you are located in an area that is too remote for cable and DSL service, you are not locked out of higher-speed internet service. Satellite internet provides service that is much faster than the dial-up connections that continue to be used in rural and remote locations. Enter your ZIP code in Wirefly's broadband comparison tool to compare satellite internet providers and satellite internet plans to find the best one for your needs.
Satellite internet, on the other hand, is a much faster product that serves as a real alternative for every home that has a clear sight line to the southern sky. No matter where you are, you can access satellite internet and take advantage of improved speeds.
Many satellite providers - much like cable internet providers - bundle their services with phone and satellite television products. These bundles can help you to save money, as they can provide significant discounts as well as ease of billing. These bundles are commonly available in the continental United States.
Satellite internet service is experienced by the home user much the same as other internet connection technologies. However, the signal itself is provided by an orbiting satellite through a dish installed at your home, which connects to your provider's network center.
When you use satellite internet, you have an always-on connection; there's no need to dial up or sign in. It's a major step forward over dial-up internet that provides the transfer speeds needed today for many major websites and programs.
There are three major components that help to provide your connection to the internet via satellite:
One major advantage of satellite internet is its ability to reach where cable and DSL internet providers cannot. In rural and remote locations, cable television service may not be available and telephone wiring is often limited and not suitable for DSL internet. This has meant that for remote rural locations, dial-up has continued to be a major source of internet service. However, satellite internet allows rural residents to bridge the gap and access higher-speed internet with a suitable signal for interacting with today's most popular websites, apps and cloud software. Satellite internet is available almost everywhere in the United States, without restrictions.
The major concern for satellite internet subscribers is latency, which means the delay between your requests and their delivery over the satellite network. Due to the distances involved, latency or "ping time" is often higher with satellite than other types of internet connections. This most frequently impacts gaming or VPN services online that rely on instantaneous data transfer. However, latency is far less than with the dial-up connections that satellite generally replaces.
