Cable Internet and DSL get most of the buzz, but there are other ways to join the broadband revolution, including satellite Internet. Unmask the common misconceptions.

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  1. Double-up with satellite TV.
    StarBand and DirecPC provide a single antenna that can be used for both satellite TV and satellite Internet. In the case of StarBand, the television service is provided by EchoStar's Dish Network. In the case of DirecPC, the combo configuration is called DirecDuo and the TV service is provided by DirecTV.

  2. Watch out for latency.
    It takes a long time, in Internet time, for a signal to travel up to a satellite and back down to the ground. This increases latency -- particularly when the satellite is used for upstream as well as downstream transmission (where total latency approaches a full second). Techniques used to minimize the negative effects of increased latency are effective for typical Web browsing, but not for interactive applications such as real-time gaming or remote access.

  3. Watch out for the "fair access" policies.
    Satellite Internet is designed for relatively light usage. Heavy usage can cause the system to slow down for all subscribers. DirecPC imposes a "fair access" policy that throttles back your speed if and when your usage is heavier. StarBand doesn't appear to have an equivalent policy, but it's reasonable to expect that StarBand will limit usage as well.

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