Internet Access in Rural Areas

Internet connectivity across the country has been growing at a brisk pace and the FCC has taken steps to ensure that the Internet reaches the interiors of America. The different technologies used to provide Internet connections to customers include dial-up, broadband, cable modem, and DSL. Dial-up is one of the oldest technologies and among the new technologies Satellite Internet is being preferred by many subscribers. AOL is the leading American company which offers dial-up connections to subscribers and HughesNet is the leading player among Satellite Internet providers. We can draw an interesting analogy when comparing dial-up services to Satellite Internet services. It is like a short garden hose compared to a longer fire hose. It may only take a second for the water to get to the end of the garden hose, but to fill up a pool it can take days. It make take a fraction of a second longer for that water to reach the end of a fire hose but it will only take minutes to fill a pool.

Satellite Internet connections offer faster download and upload speeds as compared to dial-up connectivity. The normal download speed for a dial-up connection is 56 Kbps and for a Satellite Internet connection it varies between 700 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps. Speed is one of the primary reasons why Satellite Internet connectivity scores over dial-up Internet connections. It is not practically possible to download large applications using dial-up connections. The slow speed often ends up in congestion, packet losses and ultimately the connection time-out resulting in a frustrating experience. Dial-up service providers are also gearing up to the competition and are offering features like higher speeds, unique e-mail addresses, Email virus protection, spam controls, Pop up blockers and other functionalities. Monthly charge for dial-up Internet is less than Satellite Internet. While a dial-up connection will cost you approximately $10-$25 per month, satellite Internet services can cost $59.99 to $179.99 per month. Satellite Internet has some upfront costs for installation of dish and modem.

Satellite Internet scores over dial-up and any other modes of Internet connectivity because of the wide reach of the services. In areas where dial-up or cable modem is not accessible, Satellite Internet providers can offer service because connecting to the transponder requires only a dish and a modem. Cabling is not required like the other modes of Internet connectivity. The cost of Satellite Internet is a roadblock and people in the cities prefer using broadband or DSL connectivity. The major players offering dial-up connections in America include AOL, NetZero and Juno and AOL leads the race.

Satellite Internet is capturing a quick market share and customers no longer prefer dial-up connectivity because of the slow speed and many other disadvantages. Subscribers who have used dial-up for a long time may take sometime to realize the benefits of other technologies. A brief analysis of dial-up and satellite modem will help anyone understand the many advantages that Satellite Internet over dial-up. It can be safely concluded that Satellite Internet is slightly more expensive but a better option to connect to the Internet than dial-up.

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