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HughesNet Pushes Satellite For Broadband Backup

If you operate a business, how will you respond if your wireline broadband service fails? Do you have an adequate backup?

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This is a question many business owners are asking since last month’s massive outage of Comcast services. Millions of residential customers were effected, and thousands of businesses were crippled by the outage. It affected a large portion of the U.S., from east coast to west, and all Comcast services suffered: phone, TV, internet, and business services. Ironically, even the Down Detector failed.

(The Down Detector is an online service that tracks cable and satellite service outages. It tracks dozens of internet, video, phone, gaming, and social media services. It even monitors access to individual TV channels.)

Comcast blamed the outage on a fiber cut in a Manhattan system owned by one of its backbone ‘partners’. The incident affected both business and residential customers.

Can anything insure against lost connections?

HughesNet cited the Comcast outage as the type of catastrophic surprise businesses need to insure themselves against. And HughesNet says it has the solution.

HughesNet Network Solutions now offers a backup high-speed broadband service for such events. It will automatically switch users to satellite broadband when their terrestrial web connections fail. The backup service is under the name of HughesNet Internet Continuity. For a mere $39.99 per month, it insures against losses due to DSL, cable, or telecom down time.

With the backup system, the customer gets a WiFi modem, an antenna, a router, and a radio. Once the terrestrial network is restored, the HughesNet Continuity system switches back to it automatically.

The backup system operates at speeds of up to 25 MB/S for uploads, and 3 MB/S for downloads. These speeds meet the FCC definition of broadband.

The need for some sort of internet insurance has long been evident. As many as 90% of businesses have suffered at least one web service interruption. A third report facing an outage every month. Such outages can block access to critical systems.

At minimum, the service interruptions bring loss of revenue. In extreme cases, they can alienate customers and even force business closure.

 

(For the most reliable web connection, talk to Satellite Country. We can help.)

 

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Title II ‘Net Neutrality’ May Be Repealed

Internet service providers all across the fruited plain are awaiting December 14, 2017 with bated breath. On that date, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on possible repeal of Title II classification of the internet as a utility and ISPs as ‘common carriers’. Under Title II, ISPs are subject to regulation like land-line telephone services. The rules are often said to promote ‘net neutrality’.

A repeal ruling would revolutionize digital communications, though observers disagree vociferously about whether it would improve or degrade them.

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What is ‘net neutrality’?

In theory, ‘net neutrality’ seems unassailably right. As described by its supporters, it is the concept that ISPs should treat all data alike. They could neither slow or block disfavored content, nor accept payment for speeding other content. Without the rules, proponents say, an ISP might block or slow content from political opponents or market competitors. Comcast, for example, might throttle streaming of DirecTV.

‘Net neutrality’ is said to be necessary for a free and open internet.

What do the critics say?

Critics of the regulations say there has never been a convincing case that they’re needed. They point out that from 2005 to 2015, before the Title II web rules went into effect, average consumer data speeds surged by more than 1000% while internet traffic soared exponentially. Opponents of the rules argue that market forces will prevent abuse. If Comcast does throttle DirecTV streams, the cable system will lose credibility and alienate its customers. Comcast subscribers will then seek other providers.

What are the odds?

After December 14, we are likely to find out which view is correct. Given the partisan composition of the FCC (three Republicans, including chairman Ajit Pai, and two Democrats), a vote for repeal is nearly a foregone conclusion.

Since his appointment as FCC Chairman, Pai has often criticized the Tie II web rules. And on November 21, he issued a draft order to schedule the repeal vote.

How does this affect you?

If you have HughesNet service, you’ve nothing to worry about. We do not have a video division, and we don’t block or throttle any content.

 

(For the most reliable internet connection, talk to us. we can help.)

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TV EVERYWHERE

With your HughesNet service, you’ll have expanded options for TV viewing. With the ability to stream video via the internet, you are not limited to the programming choices or bundles offered by cable and satellite TV systems.

TV Everywhere is an industry term for streaming video services that don’t require conventional cable boxes or satellite dishes. It’s also known as authenticated streaming or authenticated video-on-demand. For most such services, you won’t need to have any equipment installed, and for some, you won’t have to sign any long term contracts. Access to programming is through an authentication code you enter on your device.

The pay TV industry developed TV Everywhere to answer the competitive challenge posed by streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.

TV Everywhere offers flexibility in viewing platforms. Most TVE applications are compatible with iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, Mac and PC computers, Roku, PlayStation, XBox One, Apple TV, and Chromecast devices.

Most TVE services are additions to conventional cable or satellite TV subscriptions. Last February, though, Dish Network launched Sling TV, an independent web-streaming-only platform. Sling TV customers don’t have to sign any long term contracts, can pay on a month-to-month basis, and don’t need Dish Network dishes or receivers. Most programming packages are light on the wallet. The core Sling TV package of 23 channels costs just $20.00 per month.

Since then, some cable system operators are considering offering similar products. Comcast and Verizon have tested separate streaming apps in some markets. Use of these apps does not require the standard cable TV subscription, though Comcast’s streaming service is available only to its broadband subscribers.

As a rule, streaming video services cost much less than cable or satellite TV subscriptions. This is mainly because their channel bundles are usually much smaller. You will need to research TVE providers, though, to be sure you save money- and that you’re getting the channels you want.

(For access to TV Everywhere or other internet services, talk to us.)