What Are the Alternatives to Fibre & Cable Broadband?

Let's start with the different types of internet connections you can get today:

• Mobile data. This means being close to a data communications mast so your signal strength is sufficient. Although it is good for roaming, costs tend to be high.
• Hotspots. Many places provide data connections for free these days. You can find hotspots in town centres and shopping centres, for example. Data security can be an issue, however.
• Dial-up. Generally speaking, dial-up has had its day since modem technology isn't sufficient for most demands made of modern internet connections.
• DSL and fibre. Both these services are often charged for each month and this suits many businesses and households. However, especially in rural areas, speeds and network reliability can be compromised.
• Satellite. Satellite internet means connecting a standard or Wi-Fi enabled router to a satellite dish which then communicates by radio-wave to a geostationary satellite that is orbiting the planet, therefore by-passing the requirement for telephone exchanges local to the installation site.

As you have just read, there are many different ways to connect to the web. Mobile data is often capped while dial-ups and hotspots have their own issues, which mean most people prefer fibre and DSL connections. For one, many DSL-based services rarely offer speeds of anything more than 17 Mbps, especially at busy times like Friday evenings. Although some cable internet service providers suggest that speeds of up to 200 Mbps are possible, this is rarely the case. Furthermore, such services are often unavailable unless you happen to live in a city centre.

By contrast, satellite internet connections are reliably rapid. This is partly because fewer subscribers to such services are using up the satellite's data capabilities, or bandwidth, at the same time. Satellites are now the primary alternative to fibre broadband. With speeds of up to 75 Mbps, you can see why.

This means that satellite broadband is just as good for commercial connections as it is for households. These days, domestic usage is often almost as high as business demand, especially with so many people using the internet to play high-definition games while streaming videos and music simultaneously.

What are satellite internet advantages and disadvantages compared to fixed-line connections? Let’s compare cable internet vs satellite internet.

• Satellite internet offers comparable speeds to cable internet and often exceeds it in rural locations.
• The satellite broadband on offer from Konnect is not capped, unlike numerous fixed-line alternatives.
• Satellite internet cannot suddenly go off because someone is digging up the street.
• Satellite broadband can work as a fail-safe alternative to fibre broadband, ensuring business continuity in the event of an outage.
• The pricing structure of Konnect's satellite broadband is simple to understand with no hidden costs or nasty surprises.

If you have been asking how much does satellite internet cost, then the good news is that you can sign up to Konnect for as little as €29.99 per month with a free installation of your equipment thrown in. You might also want to know about other factors, such as can weather affect satellite internet? The basic answer is yes, but it will only dampen signal strength somewhat. On the ground, poor weather can bring down phone lines or result in flooded culverts that contain fibre-optic connections, ruining them completely. By comparison, satellite broadband is much more reliable, especially in the countryside.

Satellite internet has become to Ireland main alternative to fibre broadband today, so why not discover the right Konnect package for you today?