Anyone use internet via a Satellite service?

ToneControl

TTony said:

We're looking at moving house.

As we've sold our current one, we're looking fairly actively.

I work from home when I can, and my current contract is based at home, so I'm here 3-4 days/wk.  Which is great apart from when I try to do anything online.  Internet speed via copper wire is 2mbps.  On a good day.

However, some of the places we're looking at have an even worse service, and are excluded from any near-term rollout plan for any better service level from BT.

So, alternatives.

I already use a mobile dongle & data contract because I get better speed through that at home than I do via the landline.  But it's still limited to c5mbps and again, the mobile service is unlikely to be any better in these other locations.

The other alternative would seem to be a satellite-based service provider?  I'm not an online gamer, so lag isn't going to be an issue.  I'm aware that it's expensive, but it'll be a business cost, so I can live with that.  

Any other experiences of satellite based internet access services?

I had satellite -based  from  2003-2005 or so, after having cable for years in a big city

I had 3 providers, through an old Astra 19.2 dish 
first was OK
had to have a dial up account with someone else to do the  outgoing requests and uploads (could be an issue  for working for home I think)
their contract with their supplier expired
Then I went to a crap one, where I had to reconfigure  proxy caches every day, and loads more stuff, 
Then I went to one based in Italy -  cheap and threw in a card with  access to the free  Euro satellite channels too

I  just gave the card to a neighbour to take to a car boot, tell me if you want it

I'd stick with mobile if I were you, and I think there were some  community-based wireless ones  too.

In my village, after having 50  on the BT list for 2 years, someone went round with a petition,  and got over the evil 500 threshold that BT had set.  That was enough, BT  arrived soon after

Can you get 4G?

oaf

exocet said:

Might be worth investigating the use of a high gain directional aerial for mobile broadband.  Mounting such an aerial up high like a traditional TV aerial may get you reasonable 4G service?

I wondered that too. Looks like products exist:
http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-antenna-outdoor.htm
I'm sure you could have fun with poles, cable runs and pigtails!