I promised updates on Satellite internet, and here are my impressions so far. In general it works well. We’ve been getting download speeds from 1.5 Mbps (the advertised) to 300-400 Kbps during peak moments. The latency isn’t too much of an issue for email or the web. It makes shell sessions basically impossible for all but the simplest stuff. FTP seems to work fine, as do streaming video and audio. I haven’t bought anything from the ITunes store, yet, or tried skype for a voice call yet either.
The one caviat to all of this is what is called “FAP” or “Fair Access Policy.” In this regard, satellite broadband is fundamentally broken for any of the data heavy applications that many people want out of broadband. Basically, FAP is a threshold, and once you reach the threshold, your bandwidth is throttled down to what they say is dial-up speeds, but in fact, is much worse. If you recall my last post on this – what I had experienced was FAP. On my plan (the highest plan), if I try to download more than 400 MB of anything “at one stretch” (this is the term I was given by a tech support person) I’ll get throttled. On the “home” plans, the threshold is a measly 175 MB.
Here’s my (minorly edited) transcript of my chat with tech support:
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:13:34 PM): Michelle, I have been through your usage data.
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:14:38 PM): I have learnt that, you are subject to FAP, because you have downloaded 71MB,122MB and 211MB of data at a stretch.
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:15:30 PM): The sum results to 404MB, which is greater that 400MB.
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:15:56 PM): that’s over 3 hours …
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:16:35 PM): is there a way that you can exclude necessary software updates?
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:17:02 PM): I thought it was 400 over 1-2 hours
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:17:14 PM): I am sorry. There is no way that we have that option for excluding the software updates.
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:17:39 PM): I am sorry. You should be able to browse after 8-12 hours.
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:17:44 PM): So over how much time do I have to space the dowlnloads then?
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:18:07 PM): 404 over 3 hours is too much. What about 404 over 4 or 5 hours
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:18:20 PM): Your download should not exceed above 400MB at a stretch.
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:18:42 PM): at any one stretch? How long is a stretch?
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:19:22 PM): If you try to download any data which is above 400MB at one go, you will be subject to FAP.
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:19:55 PM): so if I wait, say, 20 minutes between downloads I should be fine?
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:20:07 PM): but then doesn’t regular web browsing add into that?
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:20:50 PM): like if I download a 50 M file, then browse, then another 50 M file, an hour later, I might still be in trouble?
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:20:49 PM): I am sorry. If you try to download any data which is above 400MB at one go, you will be subject to FAP.
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:21:35 PM): If you stop downloading data before it hits the Download Threshold, you will not be subject to FAP, irrespective of the time taken to download.
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:21:46 PM): but if I am using the net constantly, that’s one go, isn’t it?
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:22:22 PM): no matter whether I’m downloading files or doing email or browsing the web?
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:23:28 PM): After your account has been restricted by FAP, you need to wait 8-12 hours for the FAP to be lifted.
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:23:43 PM): Logging off of the HughesNet satellite network does not remove the FAP from your account, it should cause it to be lifted sooner.
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:23:49 PM): I do totally understand why this policy exists, but the truth is, there has to be some way to distinguish between people who are downloading music and games and such, and people who are downloading necessary software updatees, which, unfortunatley, get bgger and bigger every year.
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:24:57 PM): I understand your concern over this issue. I will try my best to forward this concern to the concerned.
Taylor(Mar 6 2007 4:25:30 PM): You should be able to download the 211MB update once you have been uplifted from FAP.
Michelle(Mar 6 2007 4:26:22 PM): yeah, but then once I download the update, I have to pretty much stop everything for a while. Sigh. OK, thank you very much for your time.
Notice, 400 MB is smaller than a Linux ISO. It’s smaller than any movie, and is about as big as one TV show video at decent resolution. It’s smaller than the sum of the Apple software updates I had to do. I have to plan my downloads carefully, and downloading an ISO requires a download manager I can pause and resume.
Am I happier with satellite? Sure. Because nobody these days designs websites for dial-up. 20% of websites didn’t load at all. Another 40% were so slow I could go make tea and come back. It just wasn’t going to be viable in the long term. Someone who also lives out here said that with dial-up, the internet feels broken. That’s certainly true. But, satellite isn’t really broadband. I hear it’s improving, but it will never really be the broadband everyone else has.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Have you tried WildBlue? We dropped HughesNet as a provider. I’ve never seen that FAP enforced…
Wild Blue wasn’t doing any installs at all in our area, so I didn’t have a choice.
I love the line “I will try my best to forward this concern to the concerned.” It sounds like they have a staff of professional fretters. “Oh my, that’s just awful! Next!”
What a weird policy, too. Geez.
I almost sold my newly purchased home becouse I couldn’t find a highspeed provider – I was lucky enough to get wildblue and I worry about the FAP as I am a heavy internet users and do software beta testing. So far so good – sorry to hear about your internet ulcer! Look into EVDO soon over cell phone plans.
I have HughesNet and I think it is ok..It has gotten much cheaper with the rebates..
I researched both wild blue and hughes net and the blue seemed the way to go since there wasn’t any other option except really slow dial-up (18-22K) and only because the phone lines out here haven’t been upgraded since they were installed back in the late 40’s i think. Local Telephone company is Verizon and I try to call them once a month or so to get updates on if they will be installing FiOS in my area. I am within range of a wireless internet service but the tower is 250 feet above my house ( im in a valley basically) so the signal goes right above me. SIGHS!!! I hate having to pay so much for my connection and then they tell me im downloading too much and they have slowed my access speed but do they reduce my bill for the reduced speed? NO!! I was wondering what if satellite TV providers did that to their customers, counted the data transmitted and then shut em off or only showed em commercials until their bandwidth rolled over. I dont think they would have very many customers AND i would drop wild blue in a heart beat if I had something better to connect to, usually cheaper too.
We have hughes. It is terrible, being our only choice…better than ‘pretending’ to read emails…lol. My oldest daughter is also attending college and highschool at the same time. Talk about difficult. We pay $80 a month and can only d/l 425mb. This system is ridiculous. I ask them when the 24 hr. time is reset for my 425mb d/l’s. I get no answer…basically run around in a circle. I also found out that the fap open window time period is COMPLETELY different for central time. I found that out by violating it. Crazy me just adjusted the est. time for central, that is not the way hughes figured it up. I got the downLoad Manager, I am barely able to download small files each night. That added to the poor day time surfing and the unspecified rules that I am not told until I break a rule, I have had enough of Hughes.
I have had DSL and Cable internet for years… and now am moving to a house 2 miles out of town, where I apparently won’t be able to get either. Being essentially a computer nerd at heart, it seems uncivilized to think that vast swaths of people are actually living in this way… being a displaced renter due to someone else’s sudden foreclosure, I have little choice in where I’m going – but the thought of having somebody metering my internet makes me feel just shy of suicidal. Perhaps it would be understandable if this were 1998, but approachning the second decade of the 21st century?! $#!@.
I feel your pain, really. I am so, so glad I have left sattelite behind – I can’t quite imagine how I did it.