The Internet has become a necessity in most homes and companies in the modern era as we find ourselves in the twenty-first century. However, most rural and remote regions have limited internet accessibility to conventional broadband connectivity such as cable or fiber-optic connections. Satellite internet has been instrumental in reducing this digital divide through the use of signals from satellites orbiting the Earth. So, we will be using one company, namely Dish Network, in our exploration of the satellite internet revolution. Dish, based in Englewood, Colorado, has thrived in extending its satellite-based DishNET broadband service to markets such as Baltimore that have been underserved.
DishNET Leverages Space-Based Infrastructure
Most of the residents in urban areas can decide between cable and phone line-based DSL services but these terrestrial solutions are seldom cost-effective in low population density suburban, towns, and rural areas. Laying tens of kilometers of fiber optic cables and nodes for only dozens of households discourages large telecoms from connecting these areas. But, anyone who has a good view of the southern sky for mounting a small satellite dish can get broadband from space. Dish Network uses Satellites, which are placed in geosynchronous orbit over 22,000 miles in outer space and transmit internet data directly to the customers. This infrastructure makes DishNET less dependent on wired networks that require local infrastructures for installation.
The Packaging of Broadband with TV for Success in Baltimore
Dish Network was established in the mid-1990s initially providing direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television services. It defined itself in response to DirecTV, the pioneer in satellite television services by providing a lower cost multiple channel package. Dish was also good at targeting less populated suburban and rural areas where cable TV rollout was slow because of low population density. In the past decade, Dish has leveraged its existing customer base and technical experience in satellite transmission to become a nationwide provider of satellite internet connections. The main strategy of DishNET has been to offer broadband with popular television packages.
Baltimore is an example of a city that illustrates how TV and Internet bundles are marketed. Downtown and inner city areas provide fiber networks, Comcast cable, service, and Verizon FiOS, but the metro area has a shortage of connections in the outskirts. Burdened with a low-income population and early symptoms of suburban decay, significant portions of residential Baltimore rest on outdated DSL cables or simply lack wired broadband access. These are what Dish saw as opportunities to expand and proceeded to wire these internet deserts with satellite connectivity. Advertising messages informed that DishNET offered download speeds up to 15 Mbps at $39. 99 per month for the service bundled with a two-year TV commitment. An affordable television programming and broadband packaged deal for previously unserved neighborhoods also boosted the company’s success.
Improving satellite internet for urbanized areas
Using internet signals to beam data through dish antennas in the atmosphere can slow down compared to fiber optics on the ground. Although this delay is not favorable for some real-time applications such as video and voice communication or online gaming, Dish engineers have effectively optimized for latency in standard internet usage. Fine-tuning those parameters that govern satellite transmission makes common tasks such as web browsing, and streaming video among others run seamlessly. Generally, DishNET has an average latency of 500-700ms which should be good for most home usage.
Where cable and phone-based providers saw only lower-income customers who would not buy high-tier service, Dish saw an unexplored opportunity. The lack of long-term contracts cancellation fees or even credit checks also made it easy for their customers to get on board. The ability to build on satellite technology and fine-tune it for lag elimination helped Dish Networks migrate legacy DBS clients to modern integrated TV and internet customers. Over a decade since its introduction, DishNET remains a key broadband provider in Baltimore, especially for the satellite-centered regions.
The experience of Dish Network in Baltimore has lessons to teach regarding the narrowing of digital divides in America via satellite internet. Currently, Dish and the rival satellite provider Viasat are the only organizations that offer wire-free connectivity throughout the country. It is no longer a requirement to be close to ground-based cables to obtain a broadband connection. Simply, any home that can establish a line of sight with Dish satellites in the sky can get high-speed access. Although various constraints in space-borne systems limit speed below fiber optic level, satellite internet like DishNET progressively seems like a plausible way to connect the last few percentage points of the unserved US households. On the rural side, DishNET appears poised to continue selling its basic, low-cost packages for years, as satellite television has found.
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