Satellite Wifi

OP: You did well with/for replies.

However you might do better in the *Technology Corner* forum.

:C

http://www.mobileinternetsatellite.com/index.php

www.mobilsat.com

These 2 companies have the information you need. A couple of the above posts with fairly inexpensive start up and on going costs are correct. Not cheap compared to most internet services but certainly doable and dependable.

bikendan wrote:
Use your cellphone as a hotspot and access the Internet through it.
WAY cheaper and easier.
My DW is addicted to Facebook and simply uses her cellphone to log onto Facebook or uses the cellphone as a hotspot and logs in with her tablet to access Facebook.

So much simpler.

If you read the OP, there is no cellular service and he wants service where cellular is not available.

I got to the point I could set up my old Hughes 7000 in under 15 Mintues.

But. that said.. As others have noted. Price, limited bandwidth and speeds depend on the service.. I'm much happier with cellular data. and/or Park Wi-Fi.

Use your cellphone as a hotspot and access the Internet through it.
WAY cheaper and easier.
My DW is addicted to Facebook and simply uses her cellphone to log onto Facebook or uses the cellphone as a hotspot and logs in with her tablet to access Facebook.

So much simpler.

garmp wrote:
I've been hearing about satellite wifi and that it is the answer to reception gaps. I know nothing about this but am interested. First off I understand the initial investment is expensive, but what is the operating cost. We are not full timers, but rather travel 4 to 5 times yearly and generally for about 2 - 3 weeks at a time. Communication, with my wife and FaceBook, etc is paramont. On our last trip we spent approximately 1/3 to 1/2 our time in "dead" zones. DW went crazy. I simply had another adult beverage.
So, after the initial cost of unit, what is the monthly/gb costs involved? I have a tone of questions and desperately need help.
thanks

The automatic roof dishes (like RVDataSat) for satellite are pricey -- $6500 (not installed) and the data plans are slow -- 1 to 4 Mbps.

However, the new portable tripod HughesNet Gen 5 system (not your father's HughesNet) offers 40 Mbps download speeds with "reasonable" data plans: 35 GB/month for $90 all the way to 200 GB/month for $390. Be advised, there is a 24-month contract.

The initial cost for the dish, tripod, tools, etc is about $1800, and HughesNet dish setup time is at least 30 minutes.

However, the latency of a satellite system is about 600 ms compared with "normal" latencies of < 100 ms. This makes VoIP problematic, but streaming movies is not affected. Also, the HughesNet Gen 5 dish is .98 meters (3' 3"):

LEO internet is only in it's infancy. Facebook, Google and SpaceX are all testing various satellite configurations.

To my knowledge there is nothing to buy yet.

Geosynchronous internet is available, but price and performance will leave a foul taste in the mouth.

I hold out hope for Microsoft's White Space project. They've quietly become one of the largest spectrum holders and owners of dark fiber in North America. Hopefully that means something big is brewing.

garmp

i assume you mean satellite internet access

the wifi part is inside the RV & nearby, to your devices

just like your cable internet in the stick house, wifi for your devices
but cable to the internet server

Check out http://www.mobileinternetsatellite.com/
I have this about $1400 up front and $90 for 35 Gig 40 Meg download speed. Works great. Large dish but setup about as easy as DirecTV

You probably would do better with something like a WeBoost for BOB.

Keep using your phone/hotspot, just get a booster for the reception.

https://www.weboost.com/

Edit add,
I just went back and checked, one of the members here just did a you tube video on installing a weboost, if you want to see what he did and how it worked , here's the addy for the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRMMyiu1WIg