Eligibility for broadband Internet access is hardly a problem for most urbanites. Most cable modem or DSL users forget that proximity to cable nodes or telephone switches is a privilege of living in a densely populated area, not a right.

Of course, installation or service pains are another matter completely, although I've never had any problems with my basic DSL service from Pacific Bell.

Those living out in the pasture -- say, in the New Mexico high desert --have only recently had the opportunity to taste the "always on" phenomenon known as two-way high speed Internet service, using the air to transfer bits instead of wire.

One of these flavors is StarBand, available from StarBand Communications (formerly Gilat-to-Home) since November of 2000.

Partnering with Echostar and Microsoft, StarBand promises always-on, two-way Internet access at speeds near, if not comparable, to cable or DSL to anyone living in the 48 contiguous states. This means that my father-in-law in rural New Mexico can now get average download transfer rates up to 500 Kbps and upload speeds as high as 150 Kbps as long as he has an unobstructed view of the southern sky. In addition, the StarBand antenna can accommodate Echostar's Dish network satellite television programming.

TechTV Labs was excited to give the system a test run. StarBand was the first consumer-level system to offer two-way satellite communication. DirecPC had previously offered one-way service that sent data upstream using a standard telephone line. (Hughes has since made its two-way service available.)

After signing the proper documents, we were mailed a box containing a 24 x 36-inch elliptical dish, a USB modem, and other connection equipment two days later. Since the service is geared towards consumers, the installation took place at my San Francisco flat.