As the title states, this article relates to Newsgroups. We very rarely hear about newsgroups anymore. There are several reasons for this. I believe that more and more people are getting information from Online Forum groups, helpful web sites and of course Googling.
I would like to make the case that there is still room for the good old fashioned Newsgroup. Using a news reader rather than a browser can make the experience faster for many, depending on the speed of their particular computer.
WildBlue Communications is continuing to move forward in the delivery of satellite broadband connections. On January 10, 2006 they closed a secured
credit facility of over $200 million. These funds will be used to continue the steady growth of its high speed Internet access business. Terms of the credit facility were not disclosed.
WildBlue will use the financing to grow its broadband business and to facilitate the launch of a satellite in the 4th quarter of 2006. The new satellite will enable WildBlue to grow its customer base of home and business users. The demand for the service has been very strong among consumers that are not served by other broadband alternatives.
So, I thought I would take some time today to define and explain broadband. Broadband is a term many of us use without really knowing the nuts and bolts of what it represents. There are two types of internet technologies out there. One is dial-up and one is broadband. Dial-up is limited to a download bit rate speed of 56 kilobits per second on the account of using a 56k modem. Dial-up requires full use of a telephone line to connect to the internet. Broadband, generally supplies bit rate speeds that are more than twice the speed of dial up, and does not require full use of telephone lines. Currently, broadband internet technology can be delivered via cable, fiber optics, DSL, or satellite broadband. Each of these offer various advantages and disadvantages in the data delivery process. Much of this variance has to do with bit rate speed. The official speed of broadband has been a topic of debate, but generally a minimum consideration has ranged from 64 kilobits per second to 2000 kilobits per second. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently defined basic broadband to begin at 768 kilobits per second. Cable internet and Fiber Optic connections sit at the top of the food chain ranging from 1500 – 18000 kbps followed by DSL, which runs between 256 – 8000 kbps (depending on how far you are from the phone company’s hub). Next, we have satellite internet, coming in a close third with speeds between 512 – 5000 kbps. After that, we have the wireless providers, these are either through your cell phone carriers or from a local Wi-Fi provider that is close to your location. These usually run between 90 – 1500 kbps but most impose strict limits on downloading and charge a monetary penalty for excessive usage. Dead last and most certainly least is, you guessed it, dial-up bringing up the rear with a mere 12-56 kbps.
Today’s Internet users are always searching for ways to increase their download speeds. They spend hours tweaking their computer and getting the best Internet connection so that they can have the fastest download speeds. Download speeds are generally slow with dial up connections and the connection is often lost. Wildblue satellite offers Internet surfers in remote locations a much better project than traditional dial up services. If you live in a remote area, then you already know that dial up Internet connections can be painfully slow and unreliable. Some features that Wildblue satellite provides, that dial up does not, include download speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 256 Kbps. Other features that Wildblue satellite gives Internet users are an always-on connection, no software to download, and a dedicated connection/instant access. You can get professional installation with Wildblue satellite, and you will be able to talk on the phone and be connected to the Internet at the same time without the expense of additional phone lines. Cable connections offer better speed than dial up but cable can be quite expensive and is frequently unavailable in rural areas. Wildblue offers good download speeds at an affordable price no matter where you are located in the continental USA. Download speeds are important for those who like to download movies or videos as well. Since music and video files are generally very large, they can take quite some time to download with a poor connection. Wild Blue offers fast download speeds to its users. You can choose from download speeds of 512 kbps, 1.0 Mbps, all the way up to 1.5 Mbps with plans for even faster internet in the future. WildBlue high-speed Internet access for rural customers has become a reality whereas it had previously been a luxury enjoyed only by those who live in large metropolitan areas. Now high-speed Internet access can reach rural areas through the use of satellite feeds. Wild Blue is a company that has taken on this high speed Internet with a great deal of success. Instead of relying on slow phone lines or expensive cable companies, the rural Internet user can receive high-speed Internet access through Wild Blue’s satellite services. This simply requires a mini satellite dish and a small modem to get connected to the World Wide Web. High-speed Internet access has become a necessity, not a luxury, in today’s world. Internet with huge files and high-speed java scripts. So no matter where you live you can enjoy the high speed Internet like never before and at a price that you can afford.
Wild blue satellite uses standardized technology based on cable modem standards to get you connected to the Internet. These stringent requirements mean that you will be able to count on your Wild blue satellite connection to be reliable. The WildBlue network consists of five earth stations
located in:
· Cheyenne, WY
· Riverside, CA
· Laredo, TX
· Syracuse, NY
· Winnipeg, CAN
Wildblue is a new satellite internet service that launched nationwide in September 2005. Growing up in rural Arkansas, with Zero access to any sort of high speed connection, I was very excited about Wildblue. Finally I was able to download music, movies, and pictures in less than 2 hours. LOL
I know, I know, Hughesnet is and has been available. I’ve used Hughesnet personally and it is defiantly better than dial up. But the price is to rich for my backwoods salary. It was over $400 upfront to purchase their equipment and $60 a month last time I checked.
