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aqk
join:2006-07-17
Elgin, QC

2 edits

aqk

Member

[Canadian] Is XPLORENET making a comeback in Canada?

Anyone here have any comments, observations or reports on the latest improved satellite technology that Xplorenet is now selling? And at lower prices?

Preamble for rural internet users in Quebec and Canada:

I've been using Bell Mobility's Turbohub (basically a "nailed-to-the-wall" cellphone) in my rural location for the past three years.
Prior to this, I had BASIC DIALUP.
Of course there is still no "lit" fibre or xSLAMs in our neighbourhood, but, gee- lots of DARK fibre on every rural road!

The alternatives here for internet are
1. land-line V92 dial-up, (ugh!)
2. cellphone (as above),
3. low-power P2mP wifi relays - there are two such enterprises in our area, and
4. Satellite (geostationary)

There's a 5th internet rural alternative apparently in the works, involving low-level birds with lots of repeaters. It will operate much like satellite phones, but don't expect it for several years.

My option-2 above, currently being used, has reasonable speed (3- 6 mbs) and response, (60-200 ms) but the major providers (Bell and Rogers) have ridiculous monthly data allotments - anything over 10 gb/ month costs $15 /gb!
With current video streaming AND Windows / Linux monthly upgrades each taking 200 to 350 mb for each operating system (I have 6 on my three PCs), this 10 Gb gets eaten up pretty quickly, long before the end of the month.
It's a good thing I don't have kids living at home any more!

Option-3 (the P2MP) to me seems the best choice, but its weak signal doesn't permit anything such as trees between the base station and the customer. And I have quite a few tall trees. Perhaps if I put up a 50' tower....

BUT!
In the last year or so, Xplorenet have upgraded their system to use the new EchoStar XVII satellite launched in July 2012. 4G speeds are now available to Internet-satellite end-users. Of course the response is still in the 600-900 ms range. And always will be.
I've heard of several users in the neighbourhood tossing out their Rogers and Bell Mobility fixed-base internet devices and opting for Xplorenet.
And Xplorenet have also dropped their prices, as well as contract conditions.
- - - See HERE for Xplorenet pricing. - - -

As asked at top of this post, anyone here have any comments, observations or reports on the latest improved internet satellite technology?

dbirdman
MVM
join:2003-07-07
usa

dbirdman

MVM

If you look through the forum in which this is posted you will find many, many comments about the service. Just substitute "Gen4" for XPLORENET (because that is the service you are talking about) and you will have more than enough information.

Differences between Gen4 and XPLORENET will not be in the service, because they are the same service. Differences will be in plans (data allotments) and prices.
MOFIMAN
join:2010-02-11
Concord, ON

MOFIMAN to aqk

Member

to aqk
We have been selling many MOFI3500-3GN router to xplornet dealers and get a lot of customers feedback on our support line and I think it is a night a day difference between what they used to have and the new 4G satellite.
They get between 5Mb/s of real download which is great I think as before, the were barely about to do 1Mb/s constantly.

4G/LTE is great if you can get service but yes, xplornet is making a great comeback here in Canada I think as the dealers are extremely busy and on average are selling about 20-40 MOFI routers per week for each dealer so that means they are average at least that much new installs a week.