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You may have priced both satellite and ISDN and noticed that they are close to the same monthly cost. But you heard that satellite download speeds can be 1.5Mbps (that's Megabits per second) and ISDN is only 128kbps. So why wouldn't I want to get satellite internet?

Satellite has a very large delay when sending data back and forth between you and the internet. That delay can cause problems with certain programs, most notably online gaming. The delay for a satellite connection can be a half a second to a second (500ms to 1,000ms) because the signal travels thousands of miles above the Earth and back to you. The delay on an ISDN line is typically only 50ms to 150ms. That is a big difference. This delay can also affect how "snappy" your browsing experience is. When you click a link in your browser using ISDN it almost instantly begins to load. On satellite this can take a full second to begin loading.

Satellite performance is also subject to weather conditions. And as of the time of this writing, the Hughes Direcway satellite system is far from perfect. Some users have experienced only 40kbps download speeds during peak times of the day and evening. That is slower than a dialup modem.

ISDN is a more stable and predictable connection. It may be slower much of the time but it is usually a rock solid connection.

There is no clear answer to this question. Satellite vs. ISDN is a decision that needs to be made after you have learned all the pros and cons of both technologies.


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by brawney See Profile
last modified: 2002-09-08 20:21:52