Is Satellite Better Than DSL Or Cable?
This is a common question today as satellite Internet service is becoming more widely talked about in the marketplace. It is difficult to directly compare the technology of satellite to DSL and cable, but we can look at common factors such as speed, availability, and price.
In the speed category, cable is going to win almost without question, and DSL will be faster in most cases. Cable download speeds range from around 4 Mbps to 6 Mbps, DSL is 768 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps, and satellite is generally 512 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps. What download speeds don't reflect however is latency. Since the data must be sent to a satellite and then returned to earth, the data has 44,000 miles to travel. This can create serious latency issues that can interfere with VoIP, gaming, and video conferencing.
Satellite does well in the availability department for obvious reasons. If a dwelling or office has a clear view of the southern sky, it can more often than not receive satellite Internet service. While this is a strong point, DSL and cable are available in every metropolitan area and most suburbs. This factor tends to relegate satellite to rural areas.
Satellite is certainly the most expensive service of the three. With a monthly service fee around $50 to $100 dollars almost all satellite services will cost more than cable, with DSL being the most affordable on average at $20 to $30 per month. Satellite also requires the purchase of equipment and installation that can range anywhere from $300 to $600 dollars or more. Cable and DSL usually don't require a consumer to purchase equipment, and cable services rent their modems at around $6 per month as part of the service charge.
If a choice is available, Cable and DSL services are clearly superior to satellite at this time. Where satellite brings a great deal of value is rural areas where the only option available is dial up access. Satellite is going to offer a better user experience than dialup even with latency, and make broadband access available almost anywhere.
For more articles about Satellite Internet Service, plus a form that allows you to check for all major high speed ISPs in your area, return to our main satellite Internet page.