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Problems With Using Satellite Internet

Satellite Latency, Installation Cost, & Other Major Problems
by Richard Thomason - March 10th, 2009

If you are in a rural area and considering signing up for satellite Internet service, there are a few down-sides to the service that you should be aware of. Subscribers of satellite Internet service have to endure problems with latency, weather, and other issues that users of cable or DSL simply don't have to deal with.

On ISP review sites, nearly all satellite providers get a high number of negative reviews. More than likely, these customers weren't aware ahead of time about the many problems inherent with Satellite Internet service. There is nothing to be done about most of these issues, but knowing them ahead of time can at least prepare you for the experience, or change your mind entirely about signing up for satellite Internet service.

 

Peak Hours & Fair Access Policies

Just think about it -- all those satellite users returning home from work and jumping on the Internet at about the same time -- all that data going through the exact same satellite system. Yes, things slow down from around 4 PM to roughly 10 PM on weekdays, and on weekends. Satellite Internet is notorious for being slower at those times, sometimes to the point where you wonder if maybe you've hit your Fair Access limit.

And's that another issue that nearly all satellite providers have. They impose daily limits on your bandwidth known as a Fair Use Policy. This will impose a speed penalty on users who exceed their daily limit. This policy has been a major source of irritation for satellite subscribers. So if you sign up for satellite, be aware that it is often slow during peak hours, and there are limits on how much bandwidth you can use.

 

High Network Latency

Since your Internet data signal has to travel thousands of miles up into space, and then back down to a network -- and then all the way back again -- your connection will always experience some degree of latency. Satellite latency measures in the milliseconds, but it can still be quite frustrating from the user standpoint. Web surfing and email typically won't be a problem, but certain activities, such as voice chats (Skype, Ventrilo, etc), voice over IP service, and streaming media will experience delays.

It almost goes without saying, satellite Internet is definitely not ideal for online gaming. This inherent latency issue with the service will cause you to be out of sync with the rest of your gaming server. In games where reaction speed is a major factor, being a second or two behind at all times puts you at a severe disadvantage.

 

Weather Outages & Dish Location

A drop of rain? A flake of snow? A cloudy day? Normally, all of these sound like pleasant experiences. However, to the satellite Internet user, all of these things are the harbingers of pain. Yes, weather is going to affect your Internet connection. Cloud cover, rain, snow, and high winds, can all cause lost connectivity or occasional service interruptions.

While weather certain affects the performance of your satellite dish, you should also be aware of how location can affect it. You require a clear view of the southern sky in order to have a good signal to the satellite. Tree lines, other houses, hills or mountains, valleys, and other physical obstructions can block or hinder your satellite Internet signal. When your satellite equipment is installed, a good technician will do his best to place the dish in a location that gets the best signal, but oftentimes the location of your home itself is just not ideal for satellite service.

 

Monthly Price & Startup Fees

If all of that wasn't enough, then there is the price. Monthly fees for satellite Internet are always going to be much higher than DSL, cable or dialup. The typical range for monthly fees is between $55 to $120 per month depending upon the specific provider and plan you choose, and even higher if you choose plans with the fastest possible speeds.

Add to this the cost of installation, purchasing the equipment, shipping costs of equipment, and possible activation fees. The total cost just to get started with satellite Internet will generally range from $300 to $600 or even higher. Providers will run specials to reduce those initial costs, but there will always be a high price for startup. Also, providers will require at least a 12-month commitment to signup for the service. Customers who cancel early will incur an early cancellation fee, typically a few hundred dollars.

Yes, satellite Internet service is by far the most expensive form of high speed Internet service available for residential use. Still, many subscribers love satellite since they feel anything is better than 56K dialup access.

 

Well, those are the primary problems that are inherent with satellite Internet service. Scared yet? One final horror that you may experience is customer service. Satellite ISP's have earned quite a reputation for having terrible customer service. Of course, with all the problems listed above, you can expect most calls to a satellite provider's customer support department to be about issues no one can do anything about anyway. Our main article, Satellite Internet Comparison, covers the advantages and disadvantages you will most likely encounter with the big providers, such as HughesNet and WildBlue.

From our experience, Starband Internet is the company that seems to have the least amount of negative reviews, both in quality of service and in overall customer support. They still suffer from the same problems that all Satellite Internet Providers seem to have, but in general, their customers seem satisfied with the service.

 
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From our home page, you can compare Satellite Internet service with other forms of high speed Internet access, including wireless Internet, DSL providers, and broadband cable.