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Is Fixed Wireless Better Than Satellite? Fixed Wireless vs Satellite
If you need broadband internet for your business, you might be looking at the benefits of fixed wireless vs satellite. Both kinds of broadband internet service do not require a cable or fiber-optic connection to your business, so you might think they offer the same quality of service. However, there are some key differences between the two kinds of service. If your business needs fixed wireless or satellite, click the button below to get your free quote. We’re located in Atlanta and we serve the entire US including Houston, Miami, and Phoenix.
Is Fixed Wireless Better Than Satellite?
Satellite has been on the market for a while, so you might be leaning toward a technology that you are more familiar with. You may not have heard much about fixed wireless, but that does not mean that it offers inferior connectivity.
To completely answer the question, let’s take a look at fixed wireless vs satellite and determine whether or not fixed wireless is better.
What is fixed wireless internet?
Fixed wireless has been around for a while, but with advances in mm-wave-based technologies, the demand for fixed wireless is growing. Fixed wireless uses a local cell tower as its access point. The signal originates from the cell tower and is sent up to ten miles away to the distribution point, an antenna installed on your building. The antenna connects to a cable, and the signal travels from the antenna through the cable to your modem. From there, you can connect your devices via WiFi or ethernet.
Fixed wireless provides high speeds that are reliable, with true redundancies built-in to protect your connection in case of outages. Fixed wireless is also considered symmetrical, which means both uploads and downloads retain the same high speeds.
If you are worried that fixed wireless provides an unreliable connection, think again. Although no service is perfect, fixed wireless actually tends to have higher reliability and lower latency than copper and fiber optic cable connections.
Pros of Fixed Wireless Internet:
- Fixed wireless is quick and easy for the provider to set up. An antenna is set up on your roof to receive the signal from a nearby cell tower.
- The use of local cell towers makes for low latency because the signal only has to travel a short distance.
- It’s less expensive than satellite. Fixed wireless providers do not have to invest in building, launching, and maintaining expensive satellites. Those cost savings are passed on to you.
- It’s less affected by weather. The signal does not have to travel through the atmosphere as it would for satellite internet.
- No data caps or very high data caps. Unlike satellite internet, fixed wireless providers usually do not place data caps on their customers, and if they do, it is usually very high (think 100GB or more).
- Fixed wireless is extremely reliable.
Cons of Fixed Wireless Internet:
- To access fixed wireless, your business needs a direct line of sight to the cell tower. Trees and hills in the way can prevent you from accessing fixed wireless.
- Weather can cause some issues with connectivity. Rain, wind, and fog can all decrease the signal strength.
- Fixed wireless tends to be more expensive than cable/fiber optic broadband.
What is satellite internet?
Satellite internet is internet received from a satellite. The service provider installs a dish receiver on your building’s roof. The dish then sends its signals up to a satellite orbiting 22,000 miles above the earth’s atmosphere. From there, the signal beams down to the Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) Network Operations Center, and then back to your dish, where it travels through a cable connected to your modem.
That is a lot of miles for a signal to travel, and because of how far it has to go, satellite internet has a tendency to lag. If you are meeting virtually with coworkers or important clients, a minor lag can be a major problem. Something else you should know about satellite internet is that the connection can be quite unreliable. The signal has to travel through the earth’s atmosphere to reach the satellite, and the slightest changes in weather can cause problems. High humidity, bad weather, even a storm in a nearby state, can slow down your signal.
Elon Musk’s Starlink project does offer some promising changes when it comes to satellite internet. The project has been launching satellites into a lower orbit, meaning the signal does not have as far to travel. Less distance traveled equals less lag time. Starlink, however, is only in its Beta testing phase right now, as only 1400 of the planned 12,000 satellites have been launched.
Pros of Satellite Internet:
- Satellite allows access to the internet, even without a fiber optic or copper cable connected to your business. In today’s world, business is next to impossible without the internet, and slow internet is better than none at all.
Cons of Satellite Internet:
- The difficulty in setting up a connection means higher prices. A satellite costs millions of dollars to build and launch. Because of the major expenses associated with satellite, you will pay a higher price for your connection.
- Many satellite internet service providers enforce data caps, meaning if you use more than a certain level of data, you may be charged a fee or have your connection slowed down.
- A major issue with satellite internet is high latency. The signal has to travel up into space, bounce off a satellite, and come back down, which takes time. This means your connection might seem slower than fixed wireless or fiber optic.
- Satellite internet is negatively affected by the weather. The signal has to travel through the atmosphere, and even small changes such as humidity can disrupt the connection.
Fixed Wireless vs Satellite Internet
After comparing fixed wireless internet with satellite internet, it is pretty easy to see that fixed wireless is superior. The connection is much faster, and with lower latency, fixed wireless gives you the reliability and speed you need to conduct your business. Fixed wireless is also less costly than satellite internet, leaving more money to run your business.
Conclusion on Fixed Wireless vs Satellite Internet
If your business needs internet and phone services, contact OneStop Solutions by phone at 1-866-594-9166 or by email at info@onestopcomm.com for a free quote. We work with you to provide the best telecom solutions for your business so you can focus on your growth. We will help you find a fixed wireless or satellite service provider and get you the best prices for whichever type of service you choose. We’re partners with some of the biggest and best internet providers in the US including Nextiva, Verizon, Vonage, AT&T, and more!
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