Key Benefits of Switching to Satellite Internet in Rural Areas

When I first got news that I would be getting posted to Pinedale, Wyoming, the first thing I looked up was internet options available in that area. I remember feeling so relieved when I found out about fiber internet’s availability in Pinedale. As time passed, my worry about getting internet in a rural town was pushed to the back of my mind. 

I got busy packing and moving, and was remotely excited to start working at the new office. Little did I know, I’d be getting the shock of my life on the moving day. 

As soon as I reached, I got to know that my cabin was forty-something miles away from the actual town of Pinedale. That meant no fiber internet for me. Upon a panicked Google search, I discovered that there was a service available for satellite internet in my area. Despite my friend telling me that he could hook me up with a fixed wireless connection nearby, I opted for Satellite internet in a jiffy. 

Why? I will explain below. 

Let’s Understand Satellite Internet First

 Satellite internet, as the name suggests, works with the help of a satellite. The internet provider sends the internet signal from the base station to a geostationary satellite. This satellite relays the signal down towards the user’s dish that is positioned at the top of their house, which is then transmitted to the modem. For outgoing data, the same process is reversed, which is how the user connects to the rest of the world. 

The wireless nature of satellite internet is the reason it wins at availability, even in rural areas. 

Overall, to access satellite internet, the internet users need to install a dish that will send and receive internet signals from the satellite. Apart from that, the satellite is positioned roughly 35,000 km away from Earth, which is why the internet signal might take a couple of seconds longer than expected to reach you.

Now let’s explore the key benefits of having a satellite internet connection when living in rural or remote areas.

Why You Should Get Satellite Internet in Rural Areas

Key Benefit # 1: Wide Availability and Easy Accessibility

Satellite internet is widely available in the US. Even the most remote sites can get satellite internet connection in their area. 

Plus, it is the easiest to get as well. With other forms of internet, you have to lay down an entire infrastructure of cables to get access to the internet in areas where it is not readily available. But with satellite internet, all you have to do is set up a dish and connect a modem to it to get a signal in your home. Most people DIY the installation of the dish on top of their houses.

Apart from homes in rural areas, even boats and RVs can also get satellite internet. Again, all they have to do is set up a dish that catches signals from the satellite in space.

This wide availability and easy accessibility of satellite internet is the reason I chose it for my new place.

Key Benefit # 2: Resilience Towards Natural Disasters

Other forms of the internet that depend on a physical infrastructure to reach the user are highly susceptible to natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, etc. Such natural disasters can completely annihilate their infrastructure, which can take days or even weeks to recover. This can result in long internet outages.

I chose satellite internet because most rural areas are susceptible to such natural disasters. This makes satellite internet the safest bet due to its resilience and excellent disaster recovery. Since it barely has a physical infrastructure, there is no chance of damage. 

All it needs is the dish to be in place, and you can enjoy uninterrupted satellite internet, even in the case of natural disasters. 

Lastly, this benefit is the reason why I chose satellite over fixed wireless internet. Fixed wireless depends on towers to transmit the signals. If the towers get damaged, this can result in loss of internet connectivity. Not to mention, the fixed wireless internet signal is prone to disruptions due to trees and buildings. My cabin in the woods would not be able to receive internet for a day. 

Key Benefit # 3: Surprisingly Reliable Speeds

Now I know satellite internet is not known for its fast internet speeds. In fact, it is generally regarded as a last resort for internet connectivity due to its slow speeds in comparison to other urban internet alternatives. 

However, there is always an element of surprise when it comes to satellite internet speeds. They are always better than what is promised. This is partially due to the fact that if you have an unobstructed view of the sky, you can enjoy great speeds.

In fact, satellite technology is improving. The high speed recorded by a satellite internet provider, Starlink, is up to 220 Mbps. 

Its improving speed can be attributed to consistent improvements in satellite internet technology. After geostationary satellites, LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites are also gaining popularity. Since they are super close to the earth, satellite internet users can easily get better speeds. 

Moreover, even though some satellite providers provide speeds up to 150 Mbps, this is still sufficient for watching videos, browsing, and other daily activities like streaming movies. 

All in all, satellite internet is quickly dismantling the usual downsides when it comes to internet connectivity. We can thank constant innovation and technological development for enabling satellite internet to be more than a last-resort option for people living in rural and remote areas. It is quickly becoming a preference for people in remote areas for its reliability and wide availability.