Broadband connectivity has long been a problem for rural parts of the UK. While the number of broadband ‘not-spots’ and ‘slow-spots’ are slowly falling and connectivity is improving, there are parts of the UK that are still unreachable to traditional forms of broadband, with a satellite broadband service often being the only solution for homes and businesses.
There is clearly high demand for broadband in rural areas, however rural towns and villages do not benefit from the level of competition common in urban areas due to low consumer density and poor existing infrastructure. Good news has arrived at last as Ofcom have announced better value rural broadband for the UK, by reducing significantly the prices that BT Wholesale can charge for their services. This is a big step towards parity in the broadband providers market for satellite broadband.
Satellite broadband and internet is something that most domestic broadband users won’t have previously had to consider as a viable option. Although it has previously been known as an expensive and unreliable service, falling costs and improvements in latency and drop out mean that satellite broadband has become much more competitive within the broadband market.
So what exactly is satellite broadband, and how does it work?
Shawn Hunt from Broadband Wherever gives us the scoop. ‘Satellite broadband connects to the internet via an earth station consisting of a parabolic microwave antenna – a satellite dish with receiving and transmitting capabilities. The earth station sends and receives signals to a satellite in geostationary orbit around the Earth. The satellite communicates with another earth station which is connected to the Internet. 2-way satellite communication means no other terrestrial links are required – no phone line is needed, allowing access to broadband anywhere.’
Horror stories of unsightly satellite dishes and high costs are a thing of the past, in fact Broadband Wherever are part up to a free satellite broadband scheme provided by the Welsh Assembly Government. They have recently announced a £2million support scheme for residents & businesses in Wales who are residing in a ‘not-spot’ and are not able to receive broadband services. Under the scheme, customers are entitled to savings of up to £1000 to setup satellite broadband.
It is important that rural communities and businesses have access to effective and affordable broadband if the digital divide is not to grow even wider and rural economies are going to continue to prosper. The digital divide is a significant problem. Because of poor broadband access, many rural households are unable to use websites, such as YouTube and iPlayer that most urban dwellers take for granted. Reliable broadband is key for competitive and successful enterprises in a growing digital economy.
For more information on satellite broadband, satellite internet and rural broadband, please visit Broadband Wherever athttp://www.broadbandwherever.net/about