Eager to escape the hassle of the big corporate world, we now see a growing number of people taking their skills and choosing to freelance from home. With this, these people have the opportunity to work their own schedule, make an excellent income, and enjoy being their own boss. Because of all the benefits of freelancing, the trend is becoming quite popular for writers, computer programmers, retailers, and more.
Online gaming is one of the fastest growing trends in the world right now. With games such as Runescape boasting subscriber numbers of around a million and World of Warcraft exceeding 7 million active members, the total number of MMOG subscriptions is verging on the absurd, quickly approaching the 14 million mark worldwide [6/06, mmogchart.com]. This tremendous growth in the popularity of the online gaming industry has, in part, been fueled by the accessibility of high-speed broadband internet. A high-speed connection allows for a much more enjoyable game-play experience. Everyone knows that online games work exceptionally well on DSL and Cable internet connections, but what about the newer high-speed service, satellite internet?
Continuing on our Satellite Internet Around the World Series, we want to visit Satellite Broadband on the Australian Outback. As would be expected there is a relatively large market for rural high-speed internet solutions given the immense size of the country in addition to the fact that a large portion of the country has not been highly developed. This also leads to higher degree of competition between satellite internet service providers compared to what is present in most countries. An added benefit to Australian citizens is the fact that the Australian Government has publicized an Australian Broadband Guarantee that makes service subscriptions cheaper for many citizens.
As many of you may know we have dedicated a couple of articles to comparing wireless technology to satellite internet. Up until now however, we have not looked at some of the new up and coming technologies that are gaining popularity in the wireless industry. Two of these technologies are WiMax and Mifi. In case these terms are new to you I will attempt to offer a brief explanation, as these technologies have not quite made it main stream yet. Mifi is more or less, a router that utilizes wireless data signal such as 3G or the new 4G technology to connect a network of computers. It operates in much of the same way your Wi-Fi router would at home except it is more portable. A Mifi device can operate anywhere you can get a good wireless broadband connection.
A while back we started a series on satellite internet technology and services around the world and started with Japan. It only seems fair for us to continue this series with our next destination being the UK. The satellite internet technology in the UK seems to be very close to that which is offered in the United States. As a matter of fact some of the service providers are even the same. The majority of us are most likely familiar with Hughesnet, which is a satellite internet service provider here in the United States. Hughesnet also provides service to areas in the UK through other companies such as ETHNET by allowing them to use part of its technology to provide its own satellite internet service. BeyonDSL is another company that provides residential satellite internet service to areas throughout the UK. They offer one-way as well as two-way internet access. However, the one-way service incorporates a standalone BSM-2 box with just a simple Ethernet cable that needs to be connected to your PC or network equipment. This greatly reduces the possibility of software problems that can often arise from the satellite receiver. BrownstoneIT primarily focuses on offering enterprise services to larger companies that, although comes with higher speeds and more functionality, also comes with a higher price tag. This company is unique in that it offers custom VoIP and video conferencing services to its customers as well, which are services that are traditionally very difficult to offer through a satellite solution. Avonline Plc is another residential service provider that operates very similar to BeyonDSL. Around the middle of next year WildBlue is also expected to begin providing services to the UK as well as other parts of Europe. These expansions will follow the launch of its new satellite also scheduled for next year. The entrance of WildBlue into the UK market should significantly raise the bar for satellite internet performance within the country.
A lot of people ask me, “Why is Satellite Internet more expensive than DSL?” The answer is not as simple as just another global conglomerate charging more than the competition, just because they can or because the quarter has changed. No. More than meets the eye. Satellite internet is a complex, but effective, way of getting fast rural internet without that “mucking about” in cyberspace so many people who still have dial up are tormented with. For the record, most people who call Satellite Internet Providers, live in an area where no other fast internet is available. This is not to downplay the significance Satellite Internet has played in the lives of many a dial up stricken rural Americans. What I mean, is that if you have an option for cable Internet, that should be your first choice simply because of what I like to call the, “bang for your buck factor” (Dollar amount vs. Internet speed) . Most cable connection, nowadays, run somewhere between 3-10 Mbps on average (3000 – 10,000 Kbps) for about $55 per month, DSL comes in a close second at roughly .25-8 Mbps (256-8,000 kbps) for around $45 per month on average. If neither of these two are available, Satellite Internet is the next best thing. Sure, it’s not perfect for online gaming or internet telephones, but for about $69 per month on average for about 1,000 Kbps or 1Mbs, it’s a steal compared to paying for a phone line and a dial up service (about $50 per month ) that you will, undoubtedly, be unhappy with. Let’s talk about that while we’re on the subject. Why would someone pay for a land line, besides out of habit, when everyone they care about has their cell phone number and the only people who call the landline when it’s not tied up are telemarketers? Yes friends, it’s true, the landline has now been rendered useless except for its express purpose of annoyment.
Maybe you are living in an area that does not have access to cable or DSL and you are tired of the slow speeds of dial-up, but you are not sure you can afford the price increase to Satellite Internet. Did you know there are actually ways you could make your Satellite Internet service pay for itself. If you are on dial-up you are most likely paying close to $15 a month, and you can get WildBlue Satellite Internet Service stating at around $49 a month. So, you just have to save $35 with your satellite internet service and it will basically be paying for its self.
In light of recent legislation and President Obama’s plan to create a better broadband network for rural Americans I have decided to start a series dedicated to satellite broadband networks in other countries. Today, we will take a look at what Japan is doing with their satellite internet technology. Japan is unique to the U.S. in that it suffers a significantly larger amount of earthquakes. Therefore, it is very important for the country to have a communication infrastructure that can withstand such major natural disasters. Also unlike the United States the Japanese Government directly funds their satellite internet networks. A couple years ago Japan launched what was known as the KIZUNA satellite, with the primary intent of creating a backup high-speed internet networking system that would replace its ground network during natural disasters. As it turns out this satellite is quite capable of facilitating a stand-alone high speed internet network. This satellite contains two antennas, one of which will be dedicated to other Asian countries and will permit high-speed internet communications via satellite between Japan and neighboring countries. Of course the other antenna is dedicated to serving Japan. Dividing the satellite into two multibeam antennas allows it to efficiently divide up the satellite’s signal so that the limited frequencies can be made available and reused by many different areas. This new satellite will provide high-speed internet with download speeds of 155mbps and upload speeds of 6mbps. The satellite will be able to provide download speeds of up to 1.2gbps to commercial customers. These types of speeds are significantly faster than what even today’s fiber optics internet networks can provide and are unheard of speeds for the satellite internet industry. In addition to functioning as a communication network backup system this new satellite internet service will also target Japan’s rural citizens that do not have access to the country’s fiber optic network and have been forced to receive internet service via DSL.
Dog breeding is a competitive business, which means the dog breeder must stay on top of the game. This means knowing what competitors are doing, working with the best studs, having access to all types of information, being able to research, and so on. In addition, you find many dog breeders in remote areas where they have room for the dogs to live and grow in a healthy environment. However, because of the remote location, a problem arises in the form of internet service.
The Wildblue Installation Process is usually pretty straightforward and will only take about two or three hours from start to finish. When the Wildblue technician first arrives on the job site he will verify all of the pertinent information with the customer. After that he will find the best place to mount the dish and will make sure that there is a line of sight at the location. He will determine the cable routes and confirm the preferred location of the Wildblue modem with the customer and make sure that the PC has all of the minimum system requirements. After these preliminary steps are taken care of he can move on to the actual installation process. Often times the dish can be mounted to the roof of the house. If the view of the Wildblue satellite is obstructed then he may have to find an alternative location to mount the dish. A pole mount is usually the best substitute if the dish cannot be mounted on the roof or side of the building. . . Once the dish is assembled and ready to be mounted, the technician will point the dish toward the Widlblue satellite and use a special meter to ‘peak out’ the signal. Once the signal is maxed out then they can begin running the cable from the dish to the modem. Usually they are able to run the cable straight down the wall and drill a hole through the exterior wall of the building and into the room that the modem will be installed in. The distance from the dish to the modem cannot exceed 100 feet. After the dish is grounded and the cable is connected to the modem they will hook up the Wildlblue modem to the computer via an Ethernet cable. The technician will call and activate the modem, properly configure all of the necessary computer settings, and activate the customer’s email account. He will then give a short demonstration of how to use the internet and email with Wildblue. When any discarded installation materials are cleaned up then the Wildblue installation process is complete and the new Wildblue subscriber can begin surfing the internet at lightning fast speeds.
