Because of the smaller selection of providers for Internet for rural areas, rural residents often have to choose from three main types of Internet providers: wired, satellite, and mobile Internet. If you live in rural America, you may be wondering which of these three alternative options you should choose. Here are some brief breakdowns of each option.
Wired Internet
In rural areas, wired Internet usually means dial-up, DSL, or fiber optic Internet. Dial-up and DSL are usually considered relics of the past, and this assessment is fairly apt. While they are reliable, they are slow and perform unimpressively compared to other options. Fiber optic Internet is lightning fast and performs much more optimally, but it is not available in every state, so it is not even in the cards for some rural residents.
Satellite Internet
When all other options fail, unlimited satellite Internet is one common favorite of many rural residents. Companies like Starlink use the global reach of their satellites orbiting the planet to provide high-speed Internet access nearly anywhere. However, customers should be aware of issues such as high latency and expensive overage fees before committing to satellite Internet. Furthermore, customers who live in areas with many obstructions (trees, buildings, hills) may want to test if satellite Internet works in their area first.
Mobile Internet
Providers of unlimited 4G rural Internet such as UbiFi use cell towers throughout rural areas to provide high-speed Internet access. The services of 4G Internet companies such as UbiFi are known for low latency and no overage fees making them a suitable alternative to satellite Internet for some. UbiFi also supports many different devices on its service, making it ideal for large families.