EchoStar, DirecTV to offer satellite broadband

Satellite TV providers sign separate deals with WildBlue to provide high-speed Internet service.

The story "EchoStar, DirecTV to offer satellite broadband" published June 11, 2006 at 4:49 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[LordSnooty]

Rather sad level of research

"The service will be rolled out over the coming months and will be 30 times faster than dial-up Internet connections"

Hold on there; this is way too technical for the typical CNet readership. Next thing you know, you'll be actually specifying up- and download speeds...

[maxwis]

How Many Typewritten Pages?

Look on the bright side, at least CNET did not act like the TV networks and equate the speed to a number of typewritten pages. For sheer journalistic stupidity, the TV networks and their boat "anchors" win hands down.

[paulsecic]

Stay away

if you have DSL or cable. Broadband from sateltte is slow!

[Joe Blow]

This Is Being Marketed to The Rest of US ...

i.e., the US, as in U.S., that the Left and Right Coasties fly over on their way to and from meetings with moguls and three-martooni lunches. Upwards of half of the country will never get wired broadband because they live too far away from a telco central office (i.e., DSL) or a cable TV head-end. While this market may eventually be served by terrestrial wireless (WiMax, or any of the other umpteen schemes that might be rolled out, eventually, but only if they can raise the literally gigabucks needed), for now, satellite is the only show in town. I do wonder why no mention was made of the existing HughesNet (formerly DIRECWAY) service, which requires either $600 up front and $70/month, or $99 up front and $99/month for 700 Kbps down/128Kbps up. Does this mean HughesNet subscribers will be transitioned to WildBlue at no additional cost, or are they compatible? Or, will they coexist into some indefinite future to be determined by HughesNet when they decide to pull the plug after subscribers have finished their 15-month initial service term, and then have to start over with WildBlue? Well, C|NOT?

According to http://www.wildblue.com/forYourHome/ residential service is $299 up-front for equipment, and $49.95/month for 512Kbps down/128Kbps up, $59.95/month for 1.0 Mbps down/128Kbps up, or $99.95/month for 1.5 Mbps down/128Kbps up. While this is marginally better than HughesNet (especially for up-front equipment costs), it sounds like basically the same thing.

While these speeds/costs pale in comparison to even DSL within about three miles of a central office (1.5Kbps down/128Kbps up for about $30/month after a trial period), if it's the only show in town (especially if reliable dial-up isn't even available, which about 10% of the population - mostly the poorest 10%, and the Unabomber's closest former neighbors, of course - doesn't have) and you don't want your kids to grow up to be troglodites (well, maybe access to the schlock on the WWW should be avoided at all costs, no matter how good the remainder might be - especially those pesky C|NOT Talkback posters ;) ).

All the Best,
Joe Blow