hoss75
join:2006-01-28
Enon Valley, PA
| How many customers for HughesNet?
So I'm amazed that Hughes seems to be continually bogged down from overloading their sats. Just how many customers does Hughes have? Are that many households in the US still not able to get real broadband (ie. cable/dsl/etc)? Or are some people, for some unfathomable reason, actually choosing satelite even though they have much better options? |
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dwells248
join:2006-08-30
Somerville, OH
| According to a recent press release by Hughes, there are roughly 12 - 15 million homes in rural America that will never have traditional broadband options, meaning their only option is dial up.
At last count Hughes has over 300,000 consumer accounts and claims to add about 10,000 a month.
Speaking for myself, I live in an area where the chances of me getting dsl or cable or even wi-fi are slim to none. I can barely get a digital cell phone signal.
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HN7000S ProPlus Dynamic IP,93 West, IA6, 1433 Mhz |
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Vtblues
if you can't get out of it, get in to it
Premium
join:2006-05-29
Brookfield, VT
clubs:   | I believe the U.S. is 16th in the world for broadband coverage. |
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dbirdman
Premium,MVM
join:2003-07-07
Eureka, CA
| reply to hoss75
Most studies are a bit more conservative, showing about 10 million US homes without anything better than dialup available on the terrestrial side. These are not homes that will never have it, but rather homes that don't have it.
Studies also show a liklihood that 10 years from now the number will be... 10 million households.
Same 10 million now as in 10 years? Nope. There's a continual push out by terrestrial broadband, and that is matched by a continual pushout of homes into new, unserved rural areas. Makes for "churn," but a steady number of potential customers available.
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W2K Server |HughesNet IA8/1410/7000 2-watt Business Internet on .98 meter fixed | Datastorm .74 F1 | Datastorm .98 XF2 2-watt |
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rich_roth
join:2006-10-18
Fort Worth, TX
| quote:
Or are some people, for some unfathomable reason, actually choosing satelite even though they have much better options?
Who ever chooses Satellite Internet having the option of DSL or Cable or better must be TOTALLY CRAZY !!! or some kind of Masochist !!! |
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grohgreg
Dunno. Ask The Chief
join:2001-07-05
Dawson Springs, KY
| reply to hoss75
said by hoss75  :So I'm amazed that Hughes seems to be continually bogged down from overloading their sats. Just how many customers does Hughes have? It could be worse. Initially, they thought they could stuff 20,000 customers into a single 36MHz transponder. Then reality hit them upside the head, and the realworld figure turned out to be closer to 12,000. Hughes had maybe 210,000 consumer grade customers (worldwide) at the end of 2005, and claims to be adding customers at a rate of 25,000 per quarter. But I don't know if that 25K figure includes enterprise customers. (see »www.hughes.com/HUGHES/Doc/0/UJ46···2005.pdf)
Anybody been keeping track of how many transponders Hughes is currently leasing for consumer-grade service?
//greg//
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DW4000CE/1.2Ghz Tualatin/1GB PC133 - W2K Pro/SP4 - SRS G11/1410H - RSL78/ACP82 - v4.2.1.10C - RWIN 513920/MTU 1500 - Gateway/66.82.10.xx/DNS66.82.4.8 plus rollovers - Firefox 1.506/proxy switch - AVG7.1 plus Firewall |
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Matt98760
join:2005-01-05
Maryville, TN
1 edit | I will soon be on a cable ISP, It's within 50 foot of my of my home now.
On Thursday they will do the drop from the pole to the house.
It's my plan to relocate My DW6000 system to my fathers home in "very" rural east Tenn and put it in his name.
Overloaded or not after two years of good service HughesNet sure is better than dial up.
Matt |
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charlie92
join:2005-09-29
Brandon, MS | "Better than dialup" is hardly a strong endorsement for a service that calls itself "broadband" |
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grohgreg
Dunno. Ask The Chief
join:2001-07-05
Dawson Springs, KY
4 edits | You may be disappointed to learn that 200 kbps technically qualifies as "broadband".
From »www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/hi···net.html
" The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) generally defines broadband service as data transmission speeds exceeding 200 kilobits per second (Kbps), or 200,000 bits per second, in at least one direction: downstream (from the Internet to your computer) or upstream (from your computer to the Internet). "
That's their definition of a "high speed line". If it's over 200 kbps in BOTH directions, it's an "advanced high speed line". See »www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carri···0705.pdf
//greg//
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DW4000CE/1.2Ghz Tualatin/1GB PC133 - W2K Pro/SP4 - SRS G11/1410H - RSL78/ACP82 - v4.2.1.10C - RWIN 513920/MTU 1500 - Gateway/66.82.10.xx/DNS66.82.4.8 plus rollovers - Firefox 1.506/proxy switch - AVG7.1 plus Firewall |
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Bubba17
Less is More
Premium
join:2006-09-21
| reply to hoss75
Regarding numbers, today (Thursday) my hardware is one week old. Never had a sat. system prior. Discussing with the installer his degree of imminent work, he said he tries to limit his travels to a 50 mile radius, from southern Indiana. He claimed to be able, most times, to install, at least, two systems per day. And, from last week, he said he was booked -solid- for the next three weeks. That he's booked out that far more often than not. Said that, especially right now, one of his most difficult tasks was to keep hardware available, with units generally arriving just in time for install. As I pondered the number of systems this one guy is installing, allowing my mind to range out 1000 miles, more .. well, about an hour later, after I regained consciousness, I vowed not to let my small mind range like that again!
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HN7000s|H1(127W)-1110mhz|.98m-2w|Pro+|3.0ghz dual-core|3gig-ram|BFG7800GT-OC-256MB|XP-SP2
"Kentucky, home to beautiful horses and fast women" |
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enrolk
join:2002-04-23
Murrells Inlet, SC
| I think the average user has not idea how really big they [Hughes] is.
Taking all this into consideration can you imagine the number of call that Tech Support gets everyday.
Considering that many users have no idea how their system works [judging from newby posts] how dothese tech people keep their sanity.
"Hello, tech support, my George Forman sandwitch maker stopped working when i, like um you know, um, um turned on my direcway satellite box thingy".
"Hello sir, what is your San, Pin and Modem model?"
"My what"? Are you F***** kidding me lady?"
If those tech people ever wrote a book about all the people who call we would know hellish their job really is.
The language barrior between a customer in Georgia and a person Bungystan India would be something to behold.
Consider that many, if not most, of the tech support people don't have the system at home to play with they do pretty good.
The only experience I have had with Direcway was when I call to cancel my old DRS years ago. The lady in Forida really knew her stuff and I was finished in a flash.
I have no idea what and how much training these people get and if they know what kind of abuse they'll receive.
The turnover may be high.
Tech to Boss
"Do you really expect me to listen to these morons on the phone for only 25 Rupees a day"?
"You can take your sacred Cow and shove it. I ain't workin here no mo".
"I'm going back to milking cobra's for a living. At least they don't swear at me".
or
"Maybe I'll get lucky and get eaten by a TIGER".
I can imagine the grief the installers get too.
They probably don't make all that much either. The boss keeps most of it I guess.
Have a good day and may all your Blue Lights stay lit. |
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Bill00
Premium
join:2004-07-20
Capron, VA
| Enrolk, I suspect you have probably described the situation pretty accurately!
It is pretty much a given for many here in the US of A that if you don't speak a given version of 'Amuricun,' then 'You ain't s*** and I ain't wasting my time trying to talk atchoo!' 
Well said.
(and there HAS been at least one, and probably serveral, publications of tech support trials and tribulations. One of my favorites was the complaint that the 'coffe cup holder' (DVD drawer) had broken off the computer...)
Bill.
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HughesNet | DW7000 Pro (Non-static) | G3C | 95W | 1420MHz | Hor/Hor | Gateway 66.82.12.58 | CPQ/AMD Sempron 3200+ 1.79 GHz | 1.25GB RAM | XP Home/SP2 | LAN: WRT54G 2 x XP/SP2, 1 Win Me |
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hawk82
join:2001-04-26
Oakland, ME
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to hoss75
Well I believe Hughesnet lost Dunkin Donuts as a customer. Most of the Dunkin Donuts around here are dumping the Hughesnet systems for either dsl or frame relay connections, due to poor performance of the satellite system.
That's gotta hurt Hughesnet. I'm sure Dunkin Donuts paid good money to have a system in each shop.
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Computer & Network Consultant
Yes, I use pico... laugh all you want.... |
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Arion
join:2006-07-09
Marquette, MI
 ·HughesNet Satellit..
| reply to hoss75
Good....Selfish me wishes that more of the commercial customers dump hughesnet. As a matter of fact I would like all of the complainers to dump hughesnet as well. Makes more bandwidth available for me.  Seriously though hughes has two problems as I see it. Outsourcing for one and oversold for the other. However with WB putting up there own sat that will siphon away some customers and then with hughes also going to some spot beam technology that will eliminate some others. There must be a way to remain profitable (within reason) and give their customers an acceptable level of service at the same time. Nothing like an almost monopoly on the market to allow you to set the terms. The more players the better it is for the end user.
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DW6000 IA-8 1350 Router: 67.142.137.152 /.74 1 watt / Residential / Amd 2000+ / WinXP Pro - SP1/ Firefox latest |
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enrolk
join:2002-04-23
Murrells Inlet, SC
| I don't think much will change quickly if and when WB's bird is operational.
If WB has enough transponer space to satify enough customers.
If WB advertises very, very heavily on tv [with someone sexyer looking then OUR redhead.
If they can show far superior service and support levels.
If they can find a large amount of cash.
Maybe 5 years to get really intrenched to be worthy competition.
Not to mention some tech support that DOESN'T have a snake basket on their desk as a pet. |
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