The internet has become a fundamental part of people’s day-to-day life all across the UK. However, many Brits are currently unable to access a fast and reliable connection, which prevents them from making the most of the opportunities provided by the web.
Such people could benefit from satellite broadband, which is ideally suited to improving internet access in even the most remote locations. If you don’t know too much about this type of technology, here is a rundown of its five main benefits.
Accessibility
While broadband services are highly developed in the UK’s major towns and cities, the same cannot be said be for rural areas. The expensive and time-consuming infrastructural work involved with fibre optic and ADSL technology means internet service providers rarely see it as commercially viable to roll out their offering in rural areas.
However, this is not an issue for satellite broadband. All that’s required for this technology to function is a small satellite dish and modem, allowing it to easily be set up in the countryside. Furthermore, location has no bearing on the quality of service you receive, as satellite broadband goes online via signals sent from a satellite in space, meaning households in the centre of London or on a small Scottish island receive the exact same standard of connection.
Speed
Another one of the benefits of satellite broadband is that it can provide connection speeds that are otherwise hard to come by in many parts of the UK. This technology can now reach speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps), which is more than enough to carry out online activities such as video streaming, gaming, working from home or downloading large files.
Indeed, this is considerably higher than the current average for rural areas with a study by telecommunications watchdog Ofcom revealing the typical speed in the countryside is just 9.9 Mbps.
Satellite has the backing of an industry expert, with chief executive of broadband analysts Point Topic Oliver Johnson saying the case for the use of the technology to improve connections throughout Europe has reached a “tipping point” in July.
Reliability
If you’re looking for a broadband service you can rely on, satellite is the right choice for you. Other technologies are often disrupted by common problems such as distance from the nearest data exchange and damage to underground cables, but this is not an issue with satellite.
By investing in satellite broadband you will not be sharing your connection with other households, meaning the chances of the network being slowed down are greatly reduced and you’re far more likely to receive the maximum speed advertised.
Availability
Satellite broadband is available now and a connection can usually be established within just a few weeks of an order being placed. While the government is working to try and bring fibre-based internet to 90 per cent of the country through its Broadband Delivery UK project, there are concerns this will not be complete until 2017 and the remaining ten per cent of households will only be guaranteed minimum connection speeds of two Mbps.
Environmentally friendly
As mentioned above, satellite broadband does not require any of the time-consuming and expensive infrastructural work associated with other internet technologies. This is good news for the environment, as it means the countryside is not disturbed or damaged by the laying of underground cables or construction of unsightly phone masts.
