For the rural dweller, there seemed to be three choices when dealing with the growing world of cyberspace. One: Dial up. Call the telephone company, have a second line placed so that you can still receive phone calls, and be kicked offline whenever a call came in anyway. All the waiting, all the stress, all the headache, the delay, and did I mention the waiting? Two: Go to the library. Put your name on the waiting list, wait some more, finally get online, and if there’s a herd of people waiting to get on one of the three computers, rush through your email replies and hop off.
Three: Broadband card through your cellular phone carrier. OK, this option was definitely the best of the three that we were given, and if you have tried one then you know what I mean. If, and I do mean If not when, the signal is good and strong, the broadband card sends you flying through cyberspace with your tail on fire! It is great! And then, it is gone. No warning, no sign of weakening. Just stuck on a page that won’t close with a little box that shows up out of nowhere reading, “Connection Failed” or, “You Are No Longer Connected.” Huh, you don’t say?
Nearly $200 for the tiny little USB piece, and about $70 per month added to your cellular phone bill, for what? So, there you are, back at the library herded in with the masses or connecting your computer to the telephone cord in defeat. Pathetic. There were literally no other choices for us until a few short years ago. We were too far away for a good internet connection. Period.
Enter: Satellite Internet Broadband. This is the most comprehensive and technologically sound piece of bliss the countryside has ever known. Connecting to broadband via satellite allows rural users to surf, download, upload, chat, share, study, and work with the greatest of ease and speed. It is the best of all worlds, and quite affordable, too. The process begins with a telephone call, and your property will then be put on a check list so that you can be tested for viability of signal. This is to ensure that you do not have your dish receiver installed only to be blocked by a tree or mountain. You understand.
Next, you will sign a contract and set an installation date. Once your dish receiver has been installed and set according to your best signal strength, you will be up and on your way. The only thing that the satellite broadband cannot offer is the opportunity to keep up with real time or interactive gaming and gambling. There is a slight latency which occurs during the 36,000 mile journey your information has to take each time you press send or go. The delay is microscopic, but still significant enough for real time interactions to go amiss. Aside from this tiny sacrifice, the rural community is back in business.
