View Full Version : I'm rural and can't get broadband
slackeyed
12-21-07, 03:57 PM
Does DirecTV offer satellite broadband?
bobnielsen
12-21-07, 04:25 PM
Does DirecTV offer satellite broadband?
They don't, but have (or at least did in the past) a channel which advertises Hughes Net.
It requires a separate dish. Wild Blue is another possibility.
Hopefully, Wimax will be available to you in the next year or so.
Pinion413
12-21-07, 04:38 PM
I'd recommend looking into a solution from a cellular provider before going to something like Hughes Net. The satellite providers for "boradband" are both extremely expensive, and not quite actual broadband. In most, if not all cases, you would still need to be dialed in via a land line to access the service upstream, and the downstream is sent via satellite, with generous lag to boot.
Cellular at least has decent speeds (in most cases), but the downside to them is that they may charge for per KB data usage, so if you're planning on doing mass amounts of downloading, then that would be a far more expensive route.
I'd recommend looking into a solution from a cellular provider before going to something like Hughes Net. The satellite providers for "boradband" are both extremely expensive, and not quite actual broadband. In most, if not all cases, you would still need to be dialed in via a land line to access the service upstream, and the downstream is sent via satellite, with generous lag to boot.
Wow, you are really behind in the sat technology; both HughesNet, Wildblue, and at least another sat-broadband supplier (can't remember the name) have had 2-way by sat for YEARS now. ZERO landline returns.
The 'Einstien' effect, i.e, the basic 'speed of light'. So the 250ms of delay (up and down to the sat) is there and can't be gotten around, until wormholes are figured out (!).
WiMax MAY be a possibility; again, if the folks are WAY out in the sticks, a no go there. But the rollout in this country has been extremely slow, and it will probably be at least 5 years more before any real progress is made. Talk to Sprint and Clearwire on that, as they own the majority of licences; and are putting the effort toward cities, not rural areas. That's where the money is. Or at least, where their bankers are telling them it is.
longrider
12-21-07, 05:15 PM
The WiMax depends on where you are, we have fairly good Wimax coverage east of Denver. I use it and get around 3 meg down and 1 up with fantastic reliability. Outages are no more than what I saw with DSL. I used satellite when I first moved out here and I have to agree that while it is better than dialup it is your LAST choice for broadband. Latency is usually in the 600 - 800 ms range, you have 2 250ms round trips to the sat (1 out and 1 back) plus normal latency.
Steve615
12-21-07, 05:21 PM
The following link is from DirecTV for high-speed internet services.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=2980001
They will ask for your home phone number to see if any services or offers are available in your area.
Have you checked to see if any local internet service providers have a wireless service now vs. having to go with satellite? A place to start might be the yellow pages for your area and calling to see if anyone has it. Before I could get cable or DSL service a local company used wireless and I was getting a nice 1.5Mbps up/down for $40/month.
rasthan
12-21-07, 06:24 PM
The 'Einstien' effect, i.e, the basic 'speed of light'. So the 250ms of delay (up and down to the sat) is there and can't be gotten around, until wormholes are figured out (!).
On Wildblue, they changed how the upstream works in the modem firmware about a year ago in an attempt to squeeze more users on the Anik satellite.
In effect, the ping times are now typically doubled to 1400ms to 1600ms. Its not bad for web/downloading, but don't expect to play FPS games!
66stang351
12-21-07, 07:21 PM
The issue with Broadband over sat is the Fair Access Policy...very limited in download capacity before they throttle you to a crawl.
Pinion413
12-21-07, 07:35 PM
Wow, you are really behind in the sat technology; both HughesNet, Wildblue, and at least another sat-broadband supplier (can't remember the name) have had 2-way by sat for YEARS now. ZERO landline returns.
:confused: :uglyhamme
I stand corrected. Guess I am behind.
On Wildblue, they changed how the upstream works in the modem firmware about a year ago in an attempt to squeeze more users on the Anik satellite.
In effect, the ping times are now typically doubled to 1400ms to 1600ms. Its not bad for web/downloading, but don't expect to play FPS games!
I knew they were having problems, and that games were a definate no-go on sat, but I guess it's getting bad out there!
HughesNet should be getting better in the near-term, since Spaceway3 is in orbit, and the amount of bandwidth on Ka is a LOT more than Ku, plus of course the electronically stearable beams and such mean that capacity can be 'tuned' to areas where that bandwidth is needed, on a demand basis. We shall see if it all works 'as planned'.
I am way out in the woods in Virginia and made an attempt with Hughesnet and it was with out a doubt the worst month of my life considering their tech support is in india and usually has an hour wait, just to have them put you on hold an hour to transfer back to teir2 in the states. Currently I use a USB EVDO card from Verizon and can get 1.2mb down and about 500 to 800k up. It's not great and there is a 5gb monthly limit which they losely enforce but it beats the hell out of Dialup and Huges.
Like the other posters have said make Satilite your last resort, check for fixed point wireless or cell phone solutions first.
Herdfan
12-22-07, 07:04 AM
I agree that satellite should be your last choice. I had the old 1-way for years until cable finally upgraded. A wireless card from a cell provider would be the best choice if available.
Here is a great place to learn about satellite internet: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/sat
Grydlok
12-22-07, 07:09 AM
I am way out in the woods in Virginia and made an attempt with Hughesnet and it was with out a doubt the worst month of my life considering their tech support is in india and usually has an hour wait, just to have them put you on hold an hour to transfer back to teir2 in the states. Currently I use a USB EVDO card from Verizon and can get 1.2mb down and about 500 to 800k up. It's not great and there is a 5gb monthly limit which they losely enforce but it beats the hell out of Dialup and Huges.
Like the other posters have said make Satilite your last resort, check for fixed point wireless or cell phone solutions first.
You know it's a small company that offers WiFi around Louisa County. Also Clearwire is trying to move that way and works in parts of Hanover County.
My suggestion is www.toast.net a dial up not that they are high speed but at $9.95/mo. they are reasonable when not much else is available.
txtommy
12-22-07, 07:40 AM
The issue with Broadband over sat is the Fair Access Policy...very limited in download capacity before they throttle you to a crawl.
That is so true. I'm also rural, have HughesNet and two teenagers. With three computers networked we hit the FAP slowdown far too often. It works great for access to most web sites but if the boys start downloading music, video or try to play games the system drags to a stop in short order. The limit is about 400MB per 24 hour period but we have no other option except dial-up.
slackeyed
12-22-07, 07:47 AM
Thanks for the links. Ive been at dslreports.com and find that there is no local broadband isp in my area
WildBlue
Value Package Up to 512 Kbps $49.95/mo $249.00 installation
Select Package Up to 1000 Kbps $69.95/mo $249.00 installation
Pro Package Up to 1500 Kbps $79.95/mo $249.00 installation
txtommy
12-22-07, 08:02 AM
Thanks for the links. Ive been at dslreports.com and find that there is no local broadband isp in my area
WildBlue
Value Package Up to 512 Kbps $49.95/mo $249.00 installation
Select Package Up to 1000 Kbps $69.95/mo $249.00 installation
Pro Package Up to 1500 Kbps $79.95/mo $249.00 installation
Check HughesNet also. Rates appear about the same, not sure what their installation is right now. I'm paying 59.95 for 700 Kpbs. The critical item is the FAP and how they administer it. If you don't stream music, video, games or download software packages, it probably won't be a problem. If you've got kids, it will be a problem.
slackeyed
12-22-07, 08:12 AM
Check HughesNet also. Rates appear about the same, not sure what their installation is right now. I'm paying 59.95 for 700 Kpbs. The critical item is the FAP and how they administer it. If you don't stream music, video, games or download software packages, it probably won't be a problem. If you've got kids, it will be a problem.
What kills me is that Time Warner ends their service a few hundred yards down the road. They want me and all my neighbors (about 5) to agree to pay $1,800 per household for our share of labor and equipment to run fiber optic cables, install poles, etc.
I don't think any of the satellite providers are going to be sufficient for what we want to use the internet for.
Cellular might be a better way to go but I don't think I can get high speed where I live.
Larry G
12-22-07, 09:02 AM
Check HughesNet also. Rates appear about the same, not sure what their installation is right now. I'm paying 59.95 for 700 Kpbs. The critical item is the FAP and how they administer it. If you don't stream music, video, games or download software packages, it probably won't be a problem. If you've got kids, it will be a problem.
I just had Hughesnet installed 2 weeks ago. $400 upfront cost before $100 mail-in rebate from Hughes and $150 mail-in rebate from cosmosatellite.com. It's much better than the dial-up AOL we used to have. (I guess that's not saying much is it?)
slackeyed
12-22-07, 12:29 PM
I just had Hughesnet installed 2 weeks ago. $400 upfront cost before $100 mail-in rebate from Hughes and $150 mail-in rebate from cosmosatellite.com. It's much better than the dial-up AOL we used to have. (I guess that's not saying much is it?)
America's #1 Choice for Broadband by Satellite.
With HughesNet®, your super-fast, always-on, satellite Internet access is ready when you are—no dialing in, no waiting and no tied-up phone lines. You can download files in seconds, check email instantly and surf faster than you ever imagined. And HughesNet is compatible with Windows and Mac, so getting online anywhere in the contiguous U.S. is easy!
Im tempted just to order it...its gotta be better than dial up
America's #1 Choice for Broadband by Satellite.
With HughesNet®, your super-fast, always-on, satellite Internet access is ready when you are—no dialing in, no waiting and no tied-up phone lines. You can download files in seconds, check email instantly and surf faster than you ever imagined. And HughesNet is compatible with Windows and Mac, so getting online anywhere in the contiguous U.S. is easy!
Im tempted just to order it...its gotta be better than dial up
if you download a lot and exceed the FAP its slower
Steve Mehs
12-22-07, 12:46 PM
What kills me is that Time Warner ends their service a few hundred yards down the road. They want me and all my neighbors (about 5) to agree to pay $1,800 per household for our share of labor and equipment to run fiber optic cables, install poles, etc.
I don't think any of the satellite providers are going to be sufficient for what we want to use the internet for.
Cellular might be a better way to go but I don't think I can get high speed where I live.
I know this isn’t probably what you to hear, but if I was in your situation, I’d pay up in a heartbeat. You seem to be one of he lucky ones, there have been many posts on DSLReports about people who live in areas were cable is not available to them by a relatively short distance and they either had no luck in getting the cable company to consider expanding their service or had to pay a hell of a lot more than $1800/household. I think all of the TW franchise that serve Upstate NY have 10Mb and 15Mb service levels now which smokes satellite and wireless and makes DSL look like dial up. I honestly can barely make it on a 15Mb connection, the internet is such a big part of my life, if I didn’t have access to broadband I’d go out of my mind.
slackeyed
12-22-07, 01:00 PM
I know this isn’t probably what you to hear, but if I was in your situation, I’d pay up in a heartbeat. You seem to be one of he lucky ones, there have been many posts on DSLReports about people who live in areas were cable is not available to them by a relatively short distance and they either had no luck in getting the cable company to consider expanding their service or had to pay a hell of a lot more than $1800/household. I think all of the TW franchise that serve Upstate NY have 10Mb and 15Mb service levels now which smokes satellite and wireless and makes DSL look like dial up. I honestly can barely make it on a 15Mb connection, the internet is such a big part of my life, if I didn’t have access to broadband I’d go out of my mind.
My house would be perfect if I could get Time Warner...its so frustrating...I have some old timers that live across the road from me and they have one of those old fashioned 8 foot dishes in their yard picking up local stations...so i know they would DEFINITELY not pay $1800 bucks.
txtommy
12-22-07, 04:00 PM
My house would be perfect if I could get Time Warner...its so frustrating...I have some old timers that live across the road from me and they have one of those old fashioned 8 foot dishes in their yard picking up local stations...so i know they would DEFINITELY not pay $1800 bucks.
Yeah, I too would gladly pay the $1800 if they made that offer to me, but no chance of that happening. I'm stuck with HughesNet and pay it's outrageous fees for substandard service. The only good thing about it is that I don't have to wait 10 minutes to download my email like I used to with dial-up. Just don't plan on downloading any large files.
The limit is about 400MB per 24 hour period but we have no other option except dial-up.
Do you know there is an unlimited download window between 3-6 AM Eastern? At least there was when I had it, but I canceled in May. It's not much help with YouTube or games, but if you get a download manager for the big stuff it can help to keep you from being throttled.
IMO--stay far away from Wildblue. I had them both and HughesNet was far better. Yes, tech support is in India, but every time I had to call them they were polite, made an effort to speak clearly, and most importantly resolved my problem. Wildblue OTOH rarely solved our numerous issues and frequently hung up on us after the "turn off everything wait five minutes and restart" routine didn't work. Don't even get me started on the billing department. They continued to haunt me months after I canceled until I finally had Visa intervene.
Thanks for the links. Ive been at dslreports.com and find that there is no local broadband isp in my area
WildBlue
Value Package Up to 512 Kbps $49.95/mo $249.00 installation
Select Package Up to 1000 Kbps $69.95/mo $249.00 installation
Pro Package Up to 1500 Kbps $79.95/mo $249.00 installation
cforrest
12-22-07, 09:06 PM
What kills me is that Time Warner ends their service a few hundred yards down the road. They want me and all my neighbors (about 5) to agree to pay $1,800 per household for our share of labor and equipment to run fiber optic cables, install poles, etc.
I don't think any of the satellite providers are going to be sufficient for what we want to use the internet for.
Cellular might be a better way to go but I don't think I can get high speed where I live.
I would suggest contacting your Local Franchising Authority for Time Warner's Cable Franchise Agreement. Usually there is a 5 year buildout provision required by NY State PSC. I would also look into contacting the NYS PSC to complain as well. Hopefully one of those two will come through for you and get Time Warner to run the wires, as I am sure their franchise agreement states. Usually there is a provision if you are a good distance from the cable on the pole, that Time Warner doesn't have to run the cable. I think it is usually around 500 to 1000 feet, not sure. Good luck.
You know it's a small company that offers WiFi around Louisa County. Also Clearwire is trying to move that way and works in parts of Hanover County.
Not sure on Wifi but there is a place called Virginia Broadband that offers an RF type with a large yagi antenna. I'm 4 miles from the nearest tower and they couldn't get a wiff of a signal :mad: I'm hopeful for Clearwire and keep checking their coverage to see if they got closer yet.
What kills me is that Time Warner ends their service a few hundred yards down the road. They want me and all my neighbors (about 5) to agree to pay $1,800 per household for our share of labor and equipment to run fiber optic cables, install poles, etc.
I don't think any of the satellite providers are going to be sufficient for what we want to use the internet for.
Cellular might be a better way to go but I don't think I can get high speed where I live.
I'd be willing to pay ComCast $2,000 to get highspeed to me, they always offer it to me then say they need to do a site survey and never call me back at all.
slackeyed
12-24-07, 07:32 AM
I'd be willing to pay ComCast $2,000 to get highspeed to me, they always offer it to me then say they need to do a site survey and never call me back at all.
It's not just the $2,000 for your share of the labor/materials/equipment...all your NEIGHBORS have to agree to pay $2,000 as well.
After Time Warner does a site survey, they send a package by mail to all the surrounding households..I got one about a year after I moved in so one of my other neighbors must have inquired about service.
slackeyed
12-24-07, 08:34 AM
I would suggest contacting your Local Franchising Authority for Time Warner's Cable Franchise Agreement. Usually there is a 5 year buildout provision required by NY State PSC. I would also look into contacting the NYS PSC to complain as well. Hopefully one of those two will come through for you and get Time Warner to run the wires, as I am sure their franchise agreement states. Usually there is a provision if you are a good distance from the cable on the pole, that Time Warner doesn't have to run the cable. I think it is usually around 500 to 1000 feet, not sure. Good luck.
I'm in the car business..last year I handled a customer who worked for Time Warner in the office that sets up service in new areas...he told me when I was back in my house to call him...to see if he could hook me up, but I'm no longer at that dealership
and I no longer have his phone number...I could kick myself.
Thanks for the advice...what does PSC stand for? That seems like the most viable route for me.
sheureka
12-24-07, 08:40 AM
You might think about cellular - check to see if millenicom (using sprint's network) can give you service. - sheureka
cforrest
12-24-07, 08:55 AM
I'm in the car business..last year I handled a customer who worked for Time Warner in the office that sets up service in new areas...he told me when I was back in my house to call him...to see if he could hook me up, but I'm no longer at that dealership
and I no longer have his phone number...I could kick myself.
Thanks for the advice...what does PSC stand for? That seems like the most viable route for me.
PSC = Public Service Commission! Their website:
http://www.dps.state.ny.us/
To file a complaint, which you and your neighbors sure seem to have.
http://www.dps.state.ny.us/New_complaints_disputes.html
I would try and find the Local Franchise Authority, if you are in an Incorporated Village, it would be your Village's Hall where the franchise agreement can be found, since they granted Time Warner permission to offer TV. If you live in an Unincorporated Village, then the Town Hall has the authority and would have the franchise agreement on file. It is a bunch of legal jargon, but it does layout the rules Time Warner is to follow when they were granted perrmission to offer TV in your area. Good luck!
slackeyed
12-24-07, 10:27 AM
PSC = Public Service Commission! Their website:
http://www.dps.state.ny.us/
To file a complaint, which you and your neighbors sure seem to have.
http://www.dps.state.ny.us/New_complaints_disputes.html
I would try and find the Local Franchise Authority, if you are in an Incorporated Village, it would be your Village's Hall where the franchise agreement can be found, since they granted Time Warner permission to offer TV. If you live in an Unincorporated Village, then the Town Hall has the authority and would have the franchise agreement on file. It is a bunch of legal jargon, but it does layout the rules Time Warner is to follow when they were granted perrmission to offer TV in your area. Good luck!
Get this....internet/cable complaints are to be directed to the NYS Attorney General...I was just there the other day downloading a complaint for for TWO OTHER ISSUES.....
No, I'm not a serial complainer.. but we were getting ready to complain to the AG about some bull that Dish Network pulled on us (charging us $700 bucks for service at a house with no electricity after a house fire after they agreed to suspend the service), and our gas company was pulling some shady business practices on us then refusing to refund us when we caught them..
I guess I'll make another copy of that form and fire it in.
slackeyed
12-24-07, 11:14 AM
You might think about cellular - check to see if millenicom (using sprint's network) can give you service. - sheureka
:(
service@millenicom.com to me
show details 1:08 PM (5 minutes ago)
Reply
We are sorry to report you are outside our coverage area. Please note we
can provide dial-up Internet access at your location for $9.95/month.
Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to be of service.
Millenicom Sales
It's not just the $2,000 for your share of the labor/materials/equipment...all your NEIGHBORS have to agree to pay $2,000 as well.
After Time Warner does a site survey, they send a package by mail to all the surrounding households..I got one about a year after I moved in so one of my other neighbors must have inquired about service.
That's the thing, my closest neighbor is over a mile away... Even a T1 here runs about 1-2k a month due to the loop charge.
We are sorry to report you are outside our coverage area. Please note we
can provide dial-up Internet access at your location for $9.95/month.
Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to be of service.
Millenicom Sales
Not sure what part of upstate NY you are in but this is Verizon Wireless's coverage area:
Buffalo
New York
Rochester
Syracuse
Yonkers
And a map (http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=NEWREQUEST&coveragetype=broadband) of their coverage. Note that NationalAccess is much slower the BroadbandConnect Access
jlancaster
12-24-07, 10:10 PM
Please do yourself a favor by staying away from wild blue. If sat internet is your only way to go try HughesNet.
busboy789
12-25-07, 05:51 AM
I'll chime in with a different opinion about wildblue. I had direcway/hughesnet for a couple of years and switched to wildblue about six months ago. I am satisfied with wildblue. The two are roughly equal in my opinion. I prefer wildblue's FAP policy over hughesnet's. The key to either is the install. With a poor install you will NOT be happy with either one. Do your homework before ordering so that you know what you are getting into.
TigersFanJJ
12-25-07, 10:37 AM
I've never had hughesnet, so I can't compare. However, Wildblue does everything I ask it to. Now I'm not saying I'll keep it for years, but it is keeping me happy until something better comes along.
I have to say I have better performance from Wildblue than I ever did from Direcway..
I would switch to cable in a moment if it was available though.
Latency, monthly costs, bandwith, the FAP, are a few of the inherent downsides of satellite internet.
slackeyed
12-26-07, 07:53 AM
The latency and the bandwidth restrictions are both reasons why I haven't jumped yet.
I think petitioning the attorney general might be my best bet. I measured with my car...the closest house with Time Warner is only 1/4 mile away. There are six households within eyesight of me (minimum parcel size in my area is 1.5 acres and we and my closest neighbor each have 5 acres...) so there's a handful of potential Time Warner clients near me.
Wild Blue is terrible. Outrageously expensive, you seldom get your alloted D/L speed, and the upload speed is hardly better than dialup. Plus the equipment is junk. My modem started failing just out of warranty, it routinely drops to around 80Kbs D/L until I reboot it again, and again and again. WB says it's the hardware, buy another modem for $150. This after $300 for the install. Major ripoff, if I had a choice I wouldn't go near it. But us country folk get screwed by AT&T and Comcast. No service here in Third World America. If I moved to Korea I'd have 12 Mbs everywhere.
Michael Moore ought to do a doc on the pitiful state of broadband service here in the States. Call it, "Clicko".
JoeKerr
12-26-07, 04:47 PM
The latency and the bandwidth restrictions are both reasons why I haven't jumped yet.
I think petitioning the attorney general might be my best bet. I measured with my car...the closest house with Time Warner is only 1/4 mile away. There are six households within eyesight of me (minimum parcel size in my area is 1.5 acres and we and my closest neighbor each have 5 acres...) so there's a handful of potential Time Warner clients near me.
Have you thought of asking one of your neighbors for access to their broadband? I bet there is some way to concentrate a wireless signal in a particular direction (toward your house)... I guess you'd also need a way to boost the signal in the other direction.. just some thoughts here.
HDTVFreak07
12-26-07, 05:12 PM
My house would be perfect if I could get Time Warner...its so frustrating...I have some old timers that live across the road from me and they have one of those old fashioned 8 foot dishes in their yard picking up local stations...so i know they would DEFINITELY not pay $1800 bucks.
Host an orgy where you live and have Time Warner come out to install fiber optics at no charge! Or have a bunch of hot looking women naked sunbathing so the workers would WANT to install fiber optics out your way!
J/k. I suggest you file a complaint with someone about it. It's not fair for each household to pay $1,800 where the people that lives on the street with cable already there doesn't have to pay a dime! I'm paying a fortune per month for the services (during the summer, TWO Road Runner services) RR, digital phone (two lines) and basic cable (which I think is costing me more than it should at just over $7 per month). What I'm paying for, shouldn't they be making enough money to give more service to more people out in rural areas?
HDTVFreak07
12-26-07, 05:14 PM
The latency and the bandwidth restrictions are both reasons why I haven't jumped yet.
I think petitioning the attorney general might be my best bet. I measured with my car...the closest house with Time Warner is only 1/4 mile away. There are six households within eyesight of me (minimum parcel size in my area is 1.5 acres and we and my closest neighbor each have 5 acres...) so there's a handful of potential Time Warner clients near me.
Isn't Spitzer doing something about it? I thought he's pushing to provide high speed internet services out to some really rural areas.
try sprint evdo
do google search and youll find what you need to know
this is the precursor for wimax
try sprint evdo
do google search and youll find what you need to know
this is the precursor for wimax
EVDO and Wimax are not the same thing though Sprint is one of the torchbarers of the WiMax technology.
But I do highly recommend Sprint EVDO. $60 (+ fees) for truly unlimited wireless broadband thats about 1-1.5 Mbps down and about 400-700 Mbps up and ping times never more than 200ms (right now Im getting 1200 down, 400 up and 146 ms ping). Sprint covers a lot of areas with their EVDO Rev A (the fastest EVDO right now) that aren't served by other means. I cant get cable or DSL where I live but I can get their EVDO. It does help me somewhat that I live no less than about 200 yards from a Sprint Cell Tower, but its still very good coverage. You can check their website and they have a map with their EVDO coverage, all you do is plug in your adress. Odds are good if you currently have Sprint as your cell phone network you can probably get their EVDO as well.
BTW, Verizon has the same thing, but its capped at 5 GBs a month so you'll want to avoid that at all costs if EVDO is going to be your primary means of accessing the internet.
What kills me is that Time Warner ends their service a few hundred yards down the road. They want me and all my neighbors (about 5) to agree to pay $1,800 per household for our share of labor and equipment to run fiber optic cables, install poles, etc.
I don't think any of the satellite providers are going to be sufficient for what we want to use the internet for.
Cellular might be a better way to go but I don't think I can get high speed where I live.
In the first days of high-speed DSL / Cable, when even city folk were lucky to have either DSL or cable, I heard of people setting up Wi-Fi networks over really long distances. Aparantly, if you have line of site and two old Primestar dishes, you can transmit standard wi-fi up to 10 miles:
http://www.wallawalla.edu/frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html
Just get an agreement with a neighbor (that probably violates their terms of service unless they have a Pro/office plan...)
sheureka
12-27-07, 10:04 AM
You can check their website and they have a map with their EVDO coverage, all you do is plug in your adress. Odds are good if you currently have Sprint as your cell phone network you can probably get their EVDO as well.He already checked Millenicom - and Sprint doesn't have service there. Millenicom uses the Sprint network, except it's cheaper and doesn't require a contract. - sheureka
slackeyed
01-04-08, 09:06 AM
Have you thought of asking one of your neighbors for access to their broadband? I bet there is some way to concentrate a wireless signal in a particular direction (toward your house)... I guess you'd also need a way to boost the signal in the other direction.. just some thoughts here.
None of my neighbors have broadband...
So I got the results of the Time Warner field survey in the mail today.
"Our field survey indicates it will require an extension of 1.80 miles of our cable lines to provide service to your home... Our construction costs are approximately $17,500 per mile of aerial and $26,700 per mile of underground cable plant."
"Based on these calculations, we would be willing to provide service to your area if each of the 23 homes in the surveyed area would pay $533.57 a one time aid-in-construction charge. If a lesser amount of homes wanted to pursue this build, the one-time contributory construction cost would increase. We would require fifty percent of the total to be paid prior to construction and the remainder would be due upon its completion."
Looks like I'm going to have to write the Attorney General.
And to my knowledge, the last house on my road with Time Warner service is only .3 miles away.
slackeyed
01-04-08, 09:12 AM
He already checked Millenicom - and Sprint doesn't have service there. Millenicom uses the Sprint network, except it's cheaper and doesn't require a contract. - sheureka
Actually i do have Sprint coverage at my house, but its not the high speed network that I get when I'm in a real city.
When I connect to the web with my cell phone's internet browser, it's as lickety split as dial-up.
paulman182
01-04-08, 09:36 AM
"Based on these calculations, we would be willing to provide service to your area if each of the 23 homes in the surveyed area would pay $533.57 a one time aid-in-construction charge. If a lesser amount of homes wanted to pursue this build, the one-time contributory construction cost would increase. We would require fifty percent of the total to be paid prior to construction and the remainder would be due upon its completion."
And, of course, the customers in these homes would each receive free service for a period based upon this amount, divided by the amount of profit the company makes monthly from each customer. It's only fair.
Right, TW?:sure:
slackeyed
01-04-08, 10:03 AM
And, of course, the customers in these homes would each receive free service for a period based upon this amount, divided by the amount of profit the company makes monthly from each customer. It's only fair.
Right, TW?:sure:
I'm willing to wager that Time Warner would swear on a stack of bibles that they're making ZERO profit.
Checked my Sprint EVDO coverage and tada:
"Nationwide Sprint Network (avg. 50 Kbps - 70 Kbps download and upload)"
Elephanthead
01-04-08, 10:22 AM
Get in good with a neighbor that can get cable and setup a shotgun anntenna to their house. That is your cheapest bet. Just get the service in your name so they don't have to pay anything, or if they have service get a second service in your name, cable modems are serial connected anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem, they will ahve to pay the electric though but I doubt that is significant.
slackeyed
01-04-08, 11:09 AM
Get in good with a neighbor that can get cable and setup a shotgun anntenna to their house. That is your cheapest bet. Just get the service in your name so they don't have to pay anything, or if they have service get a second service in your name, cable modems are serial connected anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem, they will ahve to pay the electric though but I doubt that is significant.
Not a feasible option. The closest neighbor is not in direct view of my house.
slackeyed
01-04-08, 11:16 AM
PSC = Public Service Commission! Their website:
http://www.dps.state.ny.us/
To file a complaint, which you and your neighbors sure seem to have.
http://www.dps.state.ny.us/New_complaints_disputes.html
I would try and find the Local Franchise Authority, if you are in an Incorporated Village, it would be your Village's Hall where the franchise agreement can be found, since they granted Time Warner permission to offer TV. If you live in an Unincorporated Village, then the Town Hall has the authority and would have the franchise agreement on file. It is a bunch of legal jargon, but it does layout the rules Time Warner is to follow when they were granted perrmission to offer TV in your area. Good luck!
I found the franchise agreement online! From 2005
http://www3.dps.state.ny.us/pscweb/webfileroom.nsf/0/FC74CFC67CB25C368525712A0067C9E6/$File/04v1391_03_13_06.pdf?OpenElement
Radio Enginerd
01-04-08, 11:20 AM
Hopefully, Wimax will be available to you in the next year or so.
This may be a future option: FCC Releases 700-MHz Auction Bidder List (http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/12/fcc-releases-70.html)
slackeyed
01-04-08, 11:42 AM
NYS Attorney General Internet Complaint Form link ....(for posterity)
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/complaints/pdfs/internet_complaint.pdf
slackeyed
01-04-08, 12:11 PM
I may be on to something here...from the Order Approving Renewal between Time Warner and my Town:
"Section 895.1(d) of our rules requires that access to a cable system may not be denied to any group of potential residential subscribers based on income."
Yet they will not roll out service to us unless we pay?
JeffBowser
01-04-08, 12:20 PM
How quickly we all tend to forget - nobody is "owed" broadband - the idea of suing or complaining to the attorney general is a bit overboard. Way back when electric was run to the out-of-way areas, that was also paid for - by Gov't grant. None of these companies were required to run lines to areas with limited subscribers. At least they offered you the option to split the costs with the neighbors, they coulda just told you to go away. I have a similar situation in my neighborhood, but with sewage lines. We are having to pay $3500 each house to get city sewer run through. $533 in comparison seems like small potatos.
jwd45244
01-04-08, 12:27 PM
If you are "geeky" you might be able to set up your own broadband. Read what you need here: Whttp://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2001/pulpit_20010823_000703.html
slackeyed
01-04-08, 02:07 PM
How quickly we all tend to forget - nobody is "owed" broadband - the idea of suing or complaining to the attorney general is a bit overboard. Way back when electric was run to the out-of-way areas, that was also paid for - by Gov't grant. None of these companies were required to run lines to areas with limited subscribers. At least they offered you the option to split the costs with the neighbors, they coulda just told you to go away. I have a similar situation in my neighborhood, but with sewage lines. We are having to pay $3500 each house to get city sewer run through. $533 in comparison seems like small potatos.
Your option for water is either to dig a well or join the public grid.
My option for internet is either to use dial-up or nothing.
http://www.isp-planet.com/politics/rural_broadband.html
There are government grants going toward rural internet access now...and you think a letter to the AG is overboard?
JeffBowser
01-04-08, 02:15 PM
Well, overboard from my viewpoint, but if I was in your shoes, I suppose I would try all avenues myself (except the suing), nothing lost. I just don't think you'll get anywhere, though.
Your option for water is either to dig a well or join the public grid.
My option for internet is either to use dial-up or nothing.
http://www.isp-planet.com/politics/rural_broadband.html
There are government grants going toward rural internet access now...and you think a letter to the AG is overboard?
techntrek
01-04-08, 02:25 PM
Can you get any other network other than Sprint? I'm on AT&T, and I get EDGE service at my rural home. Usually tests to between 150 and 170 kbps. At work in a 3G area I get between 500 and 700.
I'm in a similar situation as you. My 3-mile-long road has cable on all of it except the middle 1/2 mile, which is where we live. We are also a 1 1/2 miles past the DSL cutoff (you must be within 3 miles of your switch, we are 4 1/2. After over 3 years at our house with no internet access at all - I refused to go back to dial-up after 7 years on cable - I finally broke down 3 months ago and ordered up data access on my AT&T account. I can tether it to my home computer(s) through either Wifi or directly over USB, and at 3 times the speed of dial-up at home I can live with it.
If you are covered under any other cell networks, it might be worth it to look into it. AT&T has a very detailed map on their web site, and in my area at least I've found it to be accurate.
paule123
01-04-08, 03:02 PM
Not that this is exactly broadband, but if you can get a landline phone to your house you should be able to get "IDSL" which is basically good old ISDN (144Kbps). ($100/mo.?)
Either that or a T1 (1.544Mbps) but that'll run ya at least $299 / month. I would check www.speakeasy.net for availability - they're a great company to work with. From what I understand with a T1, the phone company will install whatever repeaters are necessary to get the T1 signal out to you, regardless of distance from the central office.
Oh, and with a T1 installed, set up a WiFi access point and see if the neighbors would pay you for internet access.
slackeyed
01-04-08, 03:03 PM
Can you get any other network other than Sprint? I'm on AT&T, and I get EDGE service at my rural home. Usually tests to between 150 and 170 kbps. At work in a 3G area I get between 500 and 700.
I'm in a similar situation as you. My 3-mile-long road has cable on all of it except the middle 1/2 mile, which is where we live. We are also a 1 1/2 miles past the DSL cutoff (you must be within 3 miles of your switch, we are 4 1/2. After over 3 years at our house with no internet access at all - I refused to go back to dial-up after 7 years on cable - I finally broke down 3 months ago and ordered up data access on my AT&T account. I can tether it to my home computer(s) through either Wifi or directly over USB, and at 3 times the speed of dial-up at home I can live with it.
If you are covered under any other cell networks, it might be worth it to look into it. AT&T has a very detailed map on their web site, and in my area at least I've found it to be accurate.
According to AT&T's website...it looks like I can get EDGE service...whoa!
"EDGE is a third-generation, high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology. It's fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services including video and music clips, full picture & video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the move.
Prevalence
In areas where the 3G network is not available, customers will continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, when coverage is available.
The AT&T EDGE network is available in more than 13,000 cities and towns and in areas along 40,000 miles of highways. It provides average data speeds between 75-135Kbps."
I guess I'll head over to howardforums.com and check out the AT&T forum there..
Thanks for the heads up! It'll give me a reason to get an iPhone too lol
slackeyed
01-04-08, 03:12 PM
Not that this is exactly broadband, but if you can get a landline phone to your house you should be able to get "IDSL" which is basically good old ISDN (144Kbps). ($100/mo.?)
Either that or a T1 (1.544Mbps) but that'll run ya at least $299 / month. I would check www.speakeasy.net for availability - they're a great company to work with. From what I understand with a T1, the phone company will install whatever repeaters are necessary to get the T1 signal out to you, regardless of distance from the central office.
Oh, and with a T1 installed, set up a WiFi access point and see if the neighbors would pay you for internet access.
Speakeasy doesn't recognize my zipcode/address so I sent them an Email requesting information.
I would dump my wife's second car payment for a T1 line...that would be HOT..but I doubt she'd go for it...she doesn't really care about the internet.
paule123
01-04-08, 03:17 PM
Another place to check for T1 is www.covad.com
A lot of the companies selling "$300" T1's are actually just reselling Covad service, so you might as well go to the source.
slackeyed
01-04-08, 03:22 PM
Another place to check for T1 is www.covad.com
A lot of the companies selling "$300" T1's are actually just reselling Covad service, so you might as well go to the source.
Thanks for the tip..
"We're sorry.
Covad broadband services are not available at your location. "
Not that this is exactly broadband, but if you can get a landline phone to your house you should be able to get "IDSL" which is basically good old ISDN (144Kbps). ($100/mo.?)
Either that or a T1 (1.544Mbps) but that'll run ya at least $299 / month. I would check www.speakeasy.net for availability - they're a great company to work with. From what I understand with a T1, the phone company will install whatever repeaters are necessary to get the T1 signal out to you, regardless of distance from the central office.
Oh, and with a T1 installed, set up a WiFi access point and see if the neighbors would pay you for internet access.
When I worked for a living I had a work at home person that had no access to any broadband. I tried everything from IDSL/ISDN, DS0 (56Kbps) and DS-1 (T1). The LEC told us they would install but required a $100K buildout at their local CO in order to do it, which of course they wanted us to pay. That was SBC in Arkansas, maybe in NY they have tariffs that would prevent that type of charge back.
slackeyed
01-04-08, 03:46 PM
When I worked for a living I had a work at home person that had no access to any broadband. I tried everything from IDSL/ISDN, DS0 (56Kbps) and DS-1 (T1). The LEC told us they would install but required a $100K buildout at their local CO in order to do it, which of course they wanted us to pay. That was SBC in Arkansas, maybe in NY they have tariffs that would prevent that type of charge back.
100K? :eek2:
JeffBowser
01-04-08, 06:43 PM
In all truth Slackeyed, if you live that far out, I envy you - no neighbors, peace and quiet. No internet is a small price to pay. We have a ranch out in Hayden Lake, Idaho - we go there periodically to de-stress from where we live in urban S. Florida. No internet there, and barely 1 bar of cell. I love it !
slackeyed
01-05-08, 07:20 AM
In all truth Slackeyed, if you live that far out, I envy you - no neighbors, peace and quiet. No internet is a small price to pay. We have a ranch out in Hayden Lake, Idaho - we go there periodically to de-stress from where we live in urban S. Florida. No internet there, and barely 1 bar of cell. I love it !
I have a camp in the woods by the lake. No cell service, but even THAT place can get time warner. I seasonally hook up the road runner there.
Ext 721
01-06-08, 03:28 AM
What kills me is that Time Warner ends their service a few hundred yards down the road. They want me and all my neighbors (about 5) to agree to pay $1,800 per household for our share of labor and equipment to run fiber optic cables, install poles, etc.
I don't think any of the satellite providers are going to be sufficient for what we want to use the internet for.
Cellular might be a better way to go but I don't think I can get high speed where I live.
uhhhh....here's the thing...
you can probably find someone WITH that service capability who will share their bill and access.
My neighbor gave me $10 a month so I'd enable his laptop onto my wireless network.
I'm not exactly playing this year's hottest multiplayer shooter over here, so I noticed almost no loss.
he was thrilled.
When installing, I had a customer who was the same way...
his street was not in cable's plan, and they offered to hook him up for $3,000 :eek2:
on_fence
01-06-08, 07:33 AM
it sucks, they want rural area's last to get broadband, there way of hooking america on tech, and then trying get us move just so we can have broadband.
sickening
Steve Mehs
01-06-08, 12:07 PM
I doubt there is some master plan to deny broadband access just to get everyone to move to urban areas. Unless America goes to 'Universal Broadband' it is up to the individual providers to determine whether or not it's profitable to offer your area broadband. High speed internet access is not a right. Living in a rural area doesn't mean you have to live in the middle of nowhere either. I live in a pretty rural area, my town has a gas station, a country store, a library, a church and 1.5 traffic lights and that’s it. No neighbors to the left of me for about a mile, one neighbor to my right, and one across the street but pretty far back, can't even see his house from mine and cable has been available here forever and DSL has been here for a little over a year. I wake up to the sounds of cows mooing and have 15Mb broadband, life is good.
REDSKINSFAN47
01-06-08, 07:17 PM
Can you get any other network other than Sprint? I'm on AT&T, and I get EDGE service at my rural home. Usually tests to between 150 and 170 kbps. At work in a 3G area I get between 500 and 700.
I'm in a similar situation as you. My 3-mile-long road has cable on all of it except the middle 1/2 mile, which is where we live. We are also a 1 1/2 miles past the DSL cutoff (you must be within 3 miles of your switch, we are 4 1/2. After over 3 years at our house with no internet access at all - I refused to go back to dial-up after 7 years on cable - I finally broke down 3 months ago and ordered up data access on my AT&T account. I can tether it to my home computer(s) through either Wifi or directly over USB, and at 3 times the speed of dial-up at home I can live with it.
If you are covered under any other cell networks, it might be worth it to look into it. AT&T has a very detailed map on their web site, and in my area at least I've found it to be accurate.
i also live off a road with cable on both ends but not the middle,and then there is a 1/4 mile lane with 5 houses on it,i had cable internet in sykesville and i have dial up now,i have a cheap hp computer from walmart and nextel -sprint cell service signal is weak here i wonder if there is anything faster , i am thinking about hughes net but i hear it can be slow. i would like to load pics faster and maybe download music in less then a night.not needed for games.
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