Info: November 26, 2007 Posted by: Hughes 0 comments

Living in the US countryside can give you a respite from the maddening crowds of New York. This is where the ‘Sage of Omaha’, Warren Buffet retreated and went on to become one of the legends of the stock markets.  The rural areas of America have their own advantages provided that you are well connected with the rest of the world. Internet connectivity is slowly reaching the people of rural areas. Unfortunately, cable and DSL connections are not an option in the rural areas. This is due to the fact that cable companies would not get a return on their investments if they lay cables to far-off areas. Satellite Internet is definitely an option.

41% of Americans have a high speed Internet connection and almost 2/3 get their connection from their cable TV company. The majority of these high speed connections are in the cities. Residential broadband charges start from $50/month. The installation costs are extra and can run into hundreds of dollars. The number of people in rural America who would be interested in paying-up this money is still a question for cable companies. In the United States broadband implementation initiative is driven by the private sector. There is uncertainty on how the future of broadband will take shape.  With newer technologies being developed, broadband providers are debating on the best way to move forward. As a result people who are staying in the interiors of America are not able to get the benefits of modern broadband technology. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is closely monitoring broadband implementation by the private players. They are taking steps to remove barriers to competition and ensure that proper investments in infrastructure are happening to provide benefits to rural consumers. Legislations promoting the expansion of broadband include the H.R. 138 (McHugh); known as the Rural America Digital Accessibility Act through which the Government will give grants, loans, research and tax credits to promote the deployment of broadband in rural areas.  Apart from this other legislations have been submitted before different committees to help in the expansion of broadband connectivity in rural America.

Many people have home based businesses in rural areas or planning to start one.  Slow dial up connections and cost prohibitive ISDN lines can hamper their business prospects to a great extent.  The best option for them is to opt for satellite Internet connectivity. The charges vary from $59 per month to $199 per month and subscribers can get uninterrupted Internet connectivity with decent upload and download speeds. Hughes Network Systems offers Satellite Internet connections to 325,000 homes across America. The services are offered by installing a dish and a modem in the subscriber’s house. If you are in rural America you will be able to access the services because no cable or towers will be needed. The signals are transmitted directly from the main satellites to the dish mounted at your location hence you get uninterrupted connectivity. Satellite Internet connection is the best option for people in rural America.