Posts Tagged ‘wildblue satellite internet’

Satellite Internet Service Providers in the UK

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Satellite Internet Service In The UKA 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.

Satellite Internet, Why is It More Expensive?

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Why Satellite Internet Is More ExpensiveA 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.

Satellite Internet Breaks the Digital Divide

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Satellite Internet Crosses The Digital DivideAs the United States travels from land lines to cell phones, and computers become the rule rather than the exception, there is still a considerable percentage of the rural American population left behind. This gap of technology between corporate America and rural homes is often referred to as the Digital Divide.

Satellite Internet Signal | Ka vs. Ku Band

Monday, July 26th, 2010
Ka Satellite Signal vs Ku Satellite

Satellite Internet Signal Comparison Between Ka Band And Ku Band Satellite Signal

I read a lot of discussion about whether Ka or Ku band is the better satellite internet technology.  The two major satellite internet companies in the United States are Hughesnet and WildBlue.  Hughesnet is based on Ku-band satellite technology and WildBlue is based on Ka-band satellite technology.  There are several advantages and disadvantages to the service provider of using either of these technologies.  However, in this article we will focus on these technologies’ performance in relation to the users.  I have put together some advantages and disadvantages of both types of technologies that will hopefully help you decide which might be the best for you.

Satellite Internet Vs Wireless Part 2

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Satellite Internet Compared To Wireless InternetIf you live in what we in the Broadband industry refer to as a “dead zone” ( an area where cable and DSL internet aren’t available) then in order to fully participate in the 21st century you’re looking at two options; Wireless (Radio Frquency) service or Satellite High-Speed Internet.  

Pro Cons- Wireless internet’s Yin & Yang 

Wildblue Satellite Internet Service Installation Process

Friday, July 9th, 2010

WildBlue Satellite Internet InstallationsThe 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.

Wildblue Reviews

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

WildBlue Satellite Internet Service Customer ReviewsSome people have expressed concern that they found a negative review about Wildblue when researching the satellite internet service. Some consider these reports to be the gospel truth. The fact remains that there are always two sides to every story and it is simply our human nature to want to embellish a story in order to make it more interesting. I too have read these same posts on the exact same forums and have found some to be quite entertaining. I am not trying to discredit any of these accounts. However, while some people are bound to have a negative experience, independent research studies have shown that 94% of Wildblue subscribers are either “Happy” or “Very Happy” with the service. In addition, 9 out of 10 customers would recommend Wildblue to a friend or family member. In the same surveys users reported “excellent” ratings in installation quality, reliability, download and upload speeds, and customer care. Wildblue has recently received a “BBR Gold Award” from BroadbandReports.com and scored the highest ratings among satellite internet providers in “Install Coordination”, “Connection Reliability”, “Pre-Sales Information” and “Value for Money”.

Wildblue’s Fair Access Policy

Monday, June 28th, 2010

WildBlue Satellite Internet Fair Access PolicyAll satellite internet providers have what they call a Fair Access Policy or FAP. This policy places a ceiling on the amount of information a user can download and upload within a given span of time. With Wildblue this amount of data will accumulate within a 30-day rolling period (each new day another day will fall off from 30 days ago). The usage limit is determined by whatever package one would choose to go with. A customer is notified via email once they reach 80% of their limit. If the given threshold is exceeded then the user’s speeds would be reduced to around twice that of dial-up until they are back to 70% of the threshold. The speeds would then be restored to the original levels by the next day.

WILDBLUE AND NEWSGROUPS

Friday, June 25th, 2010

WildBlue Satellite Internet News GroupsAs 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.

DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS UTILIZE SATELLITES

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Satellite Internet Helps With Disaster ReliefAs we near the date of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction and the 9th anniversary of 9/11, it is a good time to see how far we have come in correcting severe communication breakdowns in both disasters. We may not be able to prevent all disasters, but we can improve our response. One of the main components of that response is communication.

Satellites are key in planning emergency responses by local, state and the federal government. Everyone seems to have learned the lesson that lack of communication will make a disaster a catastrophy for the individuals that are affected. We have all heard the tapes from 9/11 of firemen and police officers unable to communicate with each other or with other emergency responders. We repeated this scenario again in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.