For those that live in remote areas, obtaining high-speed Internet access can be quite difficult. Cable access is almost unheard of in rural areas. Digital Subscriber Loop access, also know as Digital Subscriber Line or DSL, is available but the service can be unreliable depending on how far away from the central office you are. Using a Dial-up service provider still remains the predominant method of connecting to the Web and at best it is very slow. The only other option, which is becoming more and more popular, is satellite Internet access.

This is the perfect solution for those that live in less populated areas and have no other way of obtaining broadband (high speed) access. The service provider has a central location that acts as the middleman between the customer and a satellite that orbits Earth. When data is downloaded, it is transmitted from the satellite to the central location and then forwarded to the customers receiver. Then it is routed through the modem to where the customer can gain access to it. The process for uploading data is slightly different. It has to be routed through a dial-up modem first and then through the receiver. It then goes to the central location where it is forwarded to the satellite.

There are several drawbacks to this type of service. One major drawback is that it does have a tendency to be unreliable. Even though this problem is not nearly as bad as it used to be, some users still experience connectivity issues during heavy wind, fog and rain. You may also experience network latency issues that could significantly slow down your connection. For this reason, it may not be conducive to playing interactive online games. Also, the overall cost is higher than it would be for dial-up, cable, or DSL. For the service alone, one can expect to pay anywhere from $59 a month to $199 a month. That does not include the initial cost of the equipment, such as the satellite dish and modem.

While dial-up Internet access may have several drawbacks, so too does satellite access. Even though it does connect at a faster speed, its performance remains an ongoing issue. Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to weigh the pros and cons and then decide if it is the right solution for them.