What Are The Advantages of Having a Satellite Internet Connection?

Satellite internet is the perfect choice for those planning to live in rural areas. Rural areas are famous for lacking fiber, cable, or LTE internet providers. So, your only available options are satellite internet providers. 

The best thing about satellite internet is that it can reach where other connections can’t.

In this guide, we’ll outline the advantages of satellite internet providers, why not to choose a provider, and the best satellite internet options. 

Best Satellite Internet Providers

HughesNet and Viasat are the best satellite internet providers in the US. If you want affordability, HughesNet has better and more affordable plans. Viasat, on the other hand, offers faster speeds. 

Starlink, on the other hand, offers the highest speeds and data caps out of all three providers. While it has the best data and internet speeds, it’s plagued by its limited availability.

There are other satellite internet providers, such as Project Kuiper and OneWeb. OneWeb is a European provider backed by the British government, while Amazon’s Project Kuiper isn’t available yet. 

So, your only option to find the best satellite internet lies in HughesNet and Viasat.

Either of the two options will offer some advantages and a lot of disadvantages (because of satellite internet). Let’s dive deeper into the advantages and disadvantages of satellite internet service.

Advantages of Satellite Internet

Satellite internet offers many benefits, especially for people living in rural areas with limited internet infrastructure. 

People living in cities won’t choose satellite internet as they have better options (cable, fiber, DSL).

Other advantages of satellite internet include:

• Satellite Internet Availability

The most significant advantage of satellite internet is that its available almost everywhere throughout the country. Once Starlink and OneWeb LEO satellites are up and running at 100% capacity, people worldwide can access satellite internet. 

• Less Expensive

Compared to fiber internet service, satellite internet costs less per month on average. According to US Telecom, laying 1 mile of fiber cables cost around $27,000. 

Satellite internet is far less expensive than laying nationwide fiber cables. This is why fiber isn’t available in rural areas, and satellite internet is more suited to delivering internet access to rural areas.

Disadvantages of Satellite Internet

Satellite internet gets a bad rep, but it's for all the right reasons. Satellite internet can frustrate users, as latency and data restrictions are the most significant disadvantages. Plus, both providers have a price hike.  

Let’s go over the disadvantages of satellite internet:

• High Latency

The data has to travel from your home to a satellite in space and then return to your home, so it takes a lot of time. The delay between the request you make on your device and the action happening is known as Latency. 

You’ll expect higher Latency the further you are from satellites. Viasat and HughesNet will offer high Latency regardless of the speed you’re getting.

The internet testing team at Club HDTV tested our both HughesNet and Visat’s connection to test latency. Both the connections offered similar experiences. 

Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites like Starlink and OneWeb will offer better Latency. Things that weren’t possible earlier with satellite internet, like playing video games, will be possible now with Starlink. 

• Data Restrictions

Anyone who knows anything about satellite internet knows that limited data is frustrating. Most satellite internet providers will offer you data between 10 - 150 GB per month. Once you go over this data limit, you’ll have to pay more for each GB of data, or you’ll have to work with slow speeds. 

An average household in America consumes about 400 GB of data in 1 month. Having a maximum limit of 150 GB is not enough. You will have to pay extra for data.

Pros and Cons of Satellite Internet

Satellite Internet vs Other Internet Types

Best satellite internet providers offer different speeds. Some are faster than dial-up internet and other types of internet in rural areas. 

Satellite internet isn’t as fast as fiber/cable for obvious reasons. The most significant advantage of satellite internet is that it is available everywhere in the country. Satellite service offers slow connections and download speeds of 25 - 150 MBPS. 

Satellite internet offers enough speed for video streaming, remote working, and conferencing.

Conclusion

In the end, satellite internet is perfect for all those who live in rural areas, away from fiber/cable connectivity. Satellite internet allows people to stay connected to the internet even if they’re living in corners of the country. 

People living in rural areas can stream videos, conduct remote work, and stay connected with friends and families.

Find similar guides at Club HDTV to make your internet experience more pleasant.