| There is a fundamental flaw with the way dialup and | | | | A Little Too Connected: And the networks of cables |
| cable internet service operates. They both use what | | | | are all connected, whole neighborhoods can lose |
| you could call the irrigation technique. Irrigation is a | | | | access if a single cable gets interrupted; more if the |
| means of diverting a natural source of water and | | | | interruption occurs closer to the source. |
| distributing it across a field. Farmers would dig ditches | | | | Instead of trying to overcome these internet |
| in order to direct the flow of the water. No matter | | | | obstacles, satellite internet sidesteps the irrigation |
| how well you design the ditches though the simple | | | | issue altogether, effectively rendering these problems |
| physics of water power mean that the distribution is | | | | moot. How exactly does satellite internet do this? |
| never perfectly equal. The rows closer to the source | | | | After you chose a satellite internet provider and plan |
| get more water flowing past them, and the further | | | | that meets your need for speed a professional |
| down the network you go the less water is | | | | installer will come to your home bringing with them a |
| distributed. Far from perfect, this irrigation system | | | | satellite antenna and a satellite modem. Your |
| nevertheless made it possible to farm fields more | | | | computer is connected to the modem which |
| efficiently and consistently. | | | | converts information it gets from the satellite |
| The irrigation model, however, is not an efficient way | | | | antenna. The antenna, or dish, communicates directly |
| to distribute high-speed internet. Dialup and cable | | | | with a satellite in orbit relaying information from the |
| providers rely on a system of cables all branching off | | | | Network Operations Center. That's it. |
| of original sources and if they have to branch off to | | | | Since they don't need to run networks of cables to |
| far they run the cables through transformers meant | | | | bring you access you get a direct and unique |
| to step up the intensity of the signal. | | | | connection to the satellite internet's feed; your |
| There are types of networking which creates certain | | | | bandwidth doesn't pass by any other houses and isn't |
| problems unique to cable and dialup users. | | | | dependent on your neighbors usage. That means that |
| Availability: Since these providers have to lay | | | | when you pay for super fast high-speed internet |
| networks of cables together, if your neighborhood | | | | access you get it. Download more files, share more |
| isn't already wired up they have no way of getting | | | | pictures, stream more videos with a connection that |
| their internet access to you. | | | | is always on so you don't have to wait to connect. |
| Hand-Me-Down Broadband: If you are lucky enough | | | | Dialup and Cable providers do their best to overcome |
| to live where they do have service, your speeds are | | | | the natural disadvantages in their way of distributing |
| still at the mercy of everyone else using the service. | | | | internet access. In comparison to the inconsistent |
| If a lot of your neighbors are all online at the same | | | | irrigation technique they use, satellite internet is like |
| time everyone's speeds are going to slow down. The | | | | having a constant source of rain, continually pouring |
| cables only have so much bandwidth, which means | | | | down from the sky, that you never have to direct, |
| you might end up paying for speeds you could never | | | | boost or connect to. |
| hope to see. | | | | |