Can Weather Affect Satellite Internet?

First, with satellite Internet, the weather will usually only make a small difference to your service. In the UK, it is usually a question of cloud cover and rainfall. Satellite Internet works by making use of radio waves. Like TV and radio broadcasts, the energy required to transmit data communications can be absorbed by water molecules in the air. As such, heavy rain or a thunderstorm could result in a weaker satellite Internet signal. Wind blowing heavy rain around may also mean you get a signal loss for a short time or, more likely, an intermittent service. However, satellite Internet in cloudy weather is not likely to be affected much at all.

In the majority of the weather conditions the UK faces, satellite Internet weather interference is minimal. If a packet of data sent between your Internet dish and the satellite doesn't penetrate a storm, for example, then it will simply be resent until it is received. Most users may notice a temporary slowing down in speed but not much more than that. If the signal is lost for a time, it will come back. This is in contrast to a branch falling on a phone line, which can cause long outages. Furthermore, konnect helps to make sure all services are optimised in the UK even if there is heavy rainfall. This is done by using suitably sized satellite dishes and installing them with the correct alignment to ensure signal strength is maximised.

When snow falls and settles on a satellite dish, it can cause more problems than rainfall. Like ice, snow will soak up energy from satellite transmissions. Unlike rainfall, it does not drain away, however, so a blockage may be more severe. If a suitable location can be found for the installation of the dish which allows the protection of your dish in snowy or icy conditions, such as the eaves of a roofline, this will be chosen. If it is possible to remove snow and ice by hand without knocking the dish out of alignment this can be done. This will help to restore your Internet service even in very wintry conditions.

Although bad weather, such as high winds, can push your satellite dish out of alignment, heat doesn't cause any difficulties. However, you should place your router out of direct sunlight so you experience no problems at all. Some people worry about adverse weather, including hot spells, affecting the security of their service. However, as all data is encrypted when it is sent and received, so even if something needs to be resent, it remains secure at all times.