Although satellite internet continues to be the best option for many people, it does come with some disadvantages. People who live in rural areas and small towns often don’t have the same options available to them that people from large cities are used to. For them, satellite internet is a huge blessing, as otherwise they would likely be stuck with either a dial-up connection or no internet connection at all. That can have a devastating effect on a person's ability to find a job and stay connected to family and friends.

Even so, there are certainly disadvantages like these:

Expense

One reason satellite internet can be more expensive than other options is the required equipment. Satellite dishes are expensive to make, and not cheap to purchase or rent. Satellite internet providers must also recover the cost of launching satellites into orbit. If you live in a remote area though, it’s easy to consider the purchase of equipment as an investment that will surely pay off. And the longer you use it, the more that upfront cost becomes worthwhile.

Speed

The speeds attainable by satellite internet are comparable to what you find from other high-speed internet options, but the top end speed still belongs to fiber optic and cable connections. It’s still very fast though; so, depending on what you use it for, you may not notice a difference.

Latency

High latency can be one of the biggest drawbacks to satellite internet. When you want to access a website, your computer will send that request through your satellite dish and up to the satellite in orbit. The satellite will then send it back down to your ISP (internet service provider). There, the website you requested is retrieved through wired connections, delivered back to your ISP, and sent back up to the satellite. The satellite then sends the retrieved information back to your satellite dish and from there to your computer. All of this happens incredibly fast, but not quite as quickly as it would without the trips up to the satellite and back. However, you’re unlikely to notice this unless you are doing something requiring precise timing like playing some types of online games.

Weather

This is only partially a disadvantage. While it is true that performance may deteriorate in inclement weather, other internet connections can suffer from very similar issues.

Data Caps

To mitigate network congestion, satellite internet providers will often have an amount of data that a person can use at their normal speed. After that cap is reached, other customers who have not reached their cap will have a higher priority set on their connections. What this means is that if enough people are using the connection at a given time, your connection may be slowed down.

Even with these disadvantages, the value of having a high-speed internet connection in the fast-paced, technology driven world we live in today cannot be underestimated. That’s why it is still a fantastic choice for so many people.

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