This might just be a million-dollar question for people who have just moved or live in the suburbs to live a peaceful life away from city chaos. Yet, they want to maintain their quality of life with the help of technology and the internet.
The internet? This is a tough acquisition in the suburbs, where it will be a challenge for you to find a reliable fiber internet service provider.
This was my story a year ago. There was no cable/fiber internet in my area, so I had to find satellite internet near me. Speaking of which, is it good for a smart home with a mini network of smart devices? Well, the simplest answer is yes, it is good. But there are some aspects of satellite internet that you should know before making the move and getting the service.
To help you make the right decision, let me share those aspects of satellite internet with you.
Reasons Why I Love Satellite Internet
Let’s start by talking about some great things about satellite internet.
It Works Where Nothing Else Works
This is the biggest advantage and the reason most people like myself even consider satellite internet.
Suburbs can be tricky. You have beautiful streets and quiet neighborhoods, but there is no cable or fiber internet. Been there, done that! Some areas have half-developed infrastructure. I mean, providers just skip the last few blocks or the entire area sometimes.
On the flip side, satellite internet doesn’t happen to do the same because of the tech behind it – no trenches or underground cables. If you have a roof and a clear view of the sky, you can get connected to the internet via satellite internet.
And that is enough for suburban homes that are usually not covered by most ISPs in the US.
Modern Speeds Are Better Than You Think
Satellite internet used to have a bad reputation for being slow and outdated. Well, that’s not the case anymore.
Now, most modern satellite internet providers offer speeds that can easily support:
- Multi-device streaming
- Zoom and Google Meet calls
- A full ecosystem of smart-home devices
I am going to be honest, it’s not on the level of fiber and cable internet, but it’s fast enough that you won’t feel like you’re compromising on the quality of life just because you chose to live outside the city.
Installation is Simple
Traditional cable or fiber installations can take days to set up. Sometimes, construction teams need to lay new lines, get city approvals, or do roadwork.
However, satellite installation is the opposite. A technician will come to your home, mount the dish, point it toward the sky, plug in the router, and that’s it.
For people who work from home, move often, or simply don’t want to wait around for technicians, they can do it themselves. I did it myself, and a few YouTube guides can help you with that.
Things That I Wish Were Better With Satellite Internet
As with most things in life, there are a few things that I wish were better with satellite internet. Let’s take a look at them.
Latency Can Be Annoying in Specific Situations
Even with modern satellites, there’s still physics that you simply can’t avoid. Your signal travels thousands of miles, and that adds milliseconds you can’t get rid of.
Does that matter when watching Netflix? No.
Does it matter when asking Google to turn off your lights? It might, but barely.
But when you’re trying to play fast-paced online games like Call of Duty or Apex Legends? You will know that it is a satellite internet connection. So, yeah, latency is the thing that is still the problem in satellite internet.
The Weather Can Interrupt Your Connection
This depends on your area, but bad weather, like heavy rain, thunderstorms, or snow, can cause slow performance. It’s not like a complete shutdown of the internet, but the connection will feel slow. You will be able to send messages and browse your favorite social media platforms.
However, it’s not a deal-breaker, at least not for me. But if you live in a place where the weather is pretty unpredictable, this is the thing to keep in mind.
Data Caps or Throttling
Some satellite providers still implement monthly data caps. These are actually soft caps, where your speed lowers after you hit a certain limit.
If you’re a heavy streamer or you frequently download heavy files, this could disappoint you a bit.
But for a typical family, it is still manageable. It’s still something you should know instead of discovering it after your first month, so I thought to share it with you beforehand.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: should you get a satellite internet connection?
If you don’t have any other option, and you don’t do a lot of online gaming, it is going to be just fine for you. But before you pull the metaphoric trigger, make sure you evaluate your usage and then make a sound decision.