Satellite Internet Service Providers

Satellite Internet Service Providers Comparison

June 1st, 2010 by SISP

Rank	Name	Info
	HughesNet Satellite Internet	Review
	StarBand Satellite Internet	Review
	WildBlue Satellite Internet	Review
	Skyway USA Satellite Internet	Review

Comparison of the Main American Satellite Internet Service Providers

People living in rural areas often find out that they are out of the service area of most cable, DSL or fiber optic providers. This often means that they are left without broadband internet access, and have to use slow dial-up connections to get online.

There is, however, an alternative for those who reside outside of the service area of other types of broadband internet providers. Satellite internet access is available anywhere in the United States. This is because it does not rely on any terrestrial infrastructure, such as cables, cell towers and switches, but rather uses satellites that orbit the earth to exchange information. This gives it the advantage of being able to function even if terrestrial communication cables have been damaged due to a disaster, which is why satellite internet is often used as a backup by journalists, businesses, governments and diplomatic missions.

Satellite internet is slightly slower and more expensive than other types of broadband. This is because the technology behind it is a lot more costly and it is not yet a very widespread way for consumers to connect to the internet. In the USA, there are very few internet providers which have their own satellites, with HughesNet being the largest and most widely known. Here is a comparison of the four major satellite internet providers in America:

HughesNet

This company formerly operated under the name DirecWay. With over 400,000 customers, they are by far the most widely used. Reasons they are so popular is that they currently have the highest access speeds available for satellite internet in America as well as impeccable reliability and customer support. They also have a 30 day guarantee in which customers can test their service to make sure it is right for them.

They offer 6 different plans which offer increasing amounts of bandwidth. Their lowest package, the “Home” plan, costs $59.99 a month and gives users a 1.0 Mbps downlink and 128 Kbps uplink. On the other end of the spectrum, their “ElitePremium” plan offers a 5.0 Mbps downlink and 300 Kbps uplink, but comes at a much higher cost of $349.99 per month. All HughesNet plans require a 24 month service contract.

There are also fees for the equipment and installation. Customers can choose whether they want to purchase the equipment or lease it from HughesNet. Since they sell their service through a network of resellers, costs for equipment, installation and activation will vary depending on where the purchase is made. If you reside in an area which has multiple providers competing for customers, you may sometimes see promotions such as a free or discounted installation.

WildBlue

WildBlue is the second most popular satellite internet provider in America, behind HughesNet. One advantage of dealing with them is that you get free professional installation if you order the service on their website.

While their connections are definitely much faster than dial-up, they are not as fast as HughesNet, with download speeds ranging from 512 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps. The plans start at $54.95, however they do require a minimum 24 month commitment. Also, WildBlue offers 24/7 American based customer support, so they will always be available to help you if you have a technical problem or an inquiry about your service.

SkyWay

In comparison to its competitors, Skyway offers the cheapest rates for satellite internet, with its “Bronze” plan starting at only $29.95 per month. However, this plan only allows download speeds of up to 256 Kbps, which is much lower than competitors. Skyway has the lowest installation and activation fees in the industry. Customers have the option of either installing the equipment and satellite dish themselves, or paying for professional installation.

However, one important factor is that unlike HughesNet, they offer only a “one-way” satellite connection. This means that while data coming from the internet to your computer goes through the satellite, data that your computer sends out to the internet (uplink) is required to go through a standard 56 Kbps dial-up connection to the server. This obviously slows down the connection somewhat, sometimes significantly. However, even their lowest plan is many times faster and more reliable than just using a dial-up modem.

Starband

Starband is a satellite internet provider owned by Spacenet Inc. They provide satellite internet in the contiguous United States and in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Just like HughesNet and Wildblue, Starband provides a “two-way” connection, so you don’t need a dial-up modem to use their service.

They offer individual users with two plans, the Nova 1000, which has download speeds of up to 1 Mbps and the Nova 1500, which provides download speeds going up to 1.5 Mbps. Their plans are slightly more expensive when compared with other providers, such as HughesNet.

One of their advantages is that they let customers choose whether they want a 12 month or a 24 months commitment. It is worth noting, however, that the 24 month contract will give you lower rates. For example, the Nova 1000 plan is $69.99 on a 24 month term, while it is $79.99 on a 12 month.

Summary

While the options for satellite internet are many, it really comes down to a discussion between HughesNet, StarBand and WildBlue as viable satellite internet providers. Digging deeper, HughesNet’s multi-tiered plans and speeds provide the best range of speed and price for the American satellite internet consumer to choose from.