WildBlue ViaSat1 the real scoop

I will believe it when I see it. Hughes is supposed to do the same thing. Speeds will be good at first then as they add many new subs the speeds will drop. There will be more complaints of people going over their CAPS as well as people see that they can do more with their broadband service at higher speeds. They are hoping to make more money off those that have higher usage.
 
I will believe it when I see it. Hughes is supposed to do the same thing. Speeds will be good at first then as they add many new subs the speeds will drop. There will be more complaints of people going over their CAPS as well as people see that they can do more with their broadband service at higher speeds. They are hoping to make more money off those that have higher usage.

There is certainly some skepticism out there as there was prior to the original DSL/Cable and that happened. The Internet went public in 1995 so its still very immature as is the providers. Since DBS we have seen a lot of changes in SD/HD/DVR, and such so why is it so hard to buy into?

HNS doing the same thing? you sure about that? Charlie hasn't yet stated what he is doing with Jupiter. and Jupiter is a good amount smaller in capacity and wont have the gateway technology we have.

Caps, currently we have about 2% that are at usage limitations. We have done our research. we have tested a beam that we cranked up (and didn't tell anyone) and studied usage patterns for a good amount of time. Usage went up a bit and then back down to the same.

and we make more money on the people that are mild users not heavy... (if i understood the comment properly)

2 years ago we were purchased by ViaSat which changed a lot of things for the better. Been making upgrades and improvements the whole time...

Thanks for the post.
 
Chris

Took the whole thread with a huge grain of salt up to this point. But having been in the 2-way satellite telecommunications business since 1973 - I think it might be in your long term interest to moderate this enthusiasm until the rubber actually meets the road. Don't know your age and/or technical expertise, but professional reputations have been tarnished - or worse - for eerily similar glowing predictions.

//greg//
 
So Chris, if I have WildBlue service through Dish Network (which I do), I won't be seeing any increase in speeds, I won't be receiving a new Surfbeam 2 modem, etc? I'm on Anik and I would greatly enjoy being in the Augmented Legacy group. Please clarify, if possible. Thanks!
 
I'm happy with my Fixed WISP at 39.99$ a month no data cap and 6mbit/sec upload and download. Netflix and Xbox live run perfectly.

Wb and even Hughes need higher data caps more than anything. Since most phone retailers don't disclose the data cap at sale, so I let the customer know before I install and many have cancelled because of the data caps alone.

Just some thoughts from the field. And it can't be just me who sees this.
 
This will be great but sounds much like idirect hope the pricing is close to what a normal cable/ DSL2 user would be paying $49-60 and not idirect rates of $1500+
 
I'm happy with my Fixed WISP at 39.99$ a month no data cap and 6mbit/sec upload and download.
Is "Fixed WISP" Terrestrial Wireless? If so what technology provides that speed?

I have Terrestrial Wireless, Motorola Calypso? and it is running ~300Kb/s up and down at $30/mo.
 
Chris

Took the whole thread with a huge grain of salt up to this point. But having been in the 2-way satellite telecommunications business since 1973 - I think it might be in your long term interest to moderate this enthusiasm until the rubber actually meets the road. Don't know your age and/or technical expertise, but professional reputations have been tarnished - or worse - for eerily similar glowing predictions.

//greg//

:)I have been in the Telecommunications business for 19 years prior to the satellite business. I used to hold some cellular certifications. Studied advanced data including the OSI model and have put together multiple node frame Relay networks including ATM and put together one the first VOIP systems to Mexico. Worked For Altell, Cell One, MCI, Qwest, Teleglobe, Pegasus, Dish Network and more. Although i don't have any Satellite installer certifications however i have Telecommunications experience more than anyone in sales at WildBlue. As now we are in not only the Sat Business we are in Telecommunications as well. Combined experience would be about 29 years.
That enough? :)

Moderate? seriously? :D
 
So Chris, if I have WildBlue service through Dish Network (which I do), I won't be seeing any increase in speeds, I won't be receiving a new Surfbeam 2 modem, etc? I'm on Anik and I would greatly enjoy being in the Augmented Legacy group. Please clarify, if possible. Thanks!

This one is difficult, Thats up in the air at this time. It may or may not happen... I cant really say more then that...
 
I'm happy with my Fixed WISP at 39.99$ a month no data cap and 6mbit/sec upload and download. Netflix and Xbox live run perfectly.

Wb and even Hughes need higher data caps more than anything. Since most phone retailers don't disclose the data cap at sale, so I let the customer know before I install and many have cancelled because of the data caps alone.

Just some thoughts from the field. And it can't be just me who sees this.

Sounds like your neither unserved or undeserved and probably not our market. Any idea how-many gig you use in a month?

All, the all you eat buffet of unlimited data is just about over. Clear slows people down real quick, cellular charges overage fees. I had a dealer in Joplin mo tell me Cable one caps at 50G, ATT announced recently they are capping people. Lots of articles on this out there.

Why? is it really fair for the ISP's to supply access (or provide a platform) to video the Netflix's if the world for free?
 
This will be great but sounds much like idirect hope the pricing is close to what a normal cable/ DSL2 user would be paying $49-60 and not idirect rates of $1500+


Lots and lots of DSL out there from smaller Telco's that are $90 per month and 3MGS (Telco states they have to have phone line)

Also lots of people that are too far from the DSLAM to have good DSL thus Undeserved.. $80,000ish per mile to run cable/fiber/whatever so some areas wont be covered...
 
Moderate? seriously? :D
I'm not trying to rain on your parade. But yes, moderate. As in mod-er-eight. If that word offends your sensibilities, how about "temper your enthusiasm". It was intended to be a suggestion from one professional to another. My own years have been spent exclusively on the technical end, and - reading your stuff - I already had the feeling you'd gotten your hands dirty at some point in the past. But that snapshot résumé is lacking broadband satellite internet experience, and - from my perspective as a satcom engineer with satellite internet credentials - you're comin' across like a salesman on a script.

Not to say that Wildblue isn't intent upon putting out an improved product. It's clear that they have to do something to stay in competition with Hughes. But your glowing narrative is having the effect of establishing expectations from a new and improved Wildblue service that may be impossible to meet once the system actually evolves. That's what I meant by "when the rubber meets the road". So my suggestion to "moderate" was essentially suggesting you lower expectations to a degree where benefiting customers will be impressed - rather than be disappointed that they bought into the hype.

Keep up the work. But don't over-sell something that might come back to bite your otherwise well-deserved credentials in the ass.

Lots and lots of DSL out there from smaller Telco's that are $90 per month...
Given that $90/mo is more expensive than the prevalent satellite internet services, I can't see $90 DSL garnering a whole lot of (informed) subscribers. Point in case; neighboring town 9 miles distant has WISP service. Until they put in a repeater, I was too far out to get service that could compete with my broadband satellite speed (2000/300 @ $80/mo). But with the addition of a new repeater, I'm lookin' at the possibility of 3MB service for $40/mo.

//greg//
 
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Why? is it really fair for the ISP's to supply access (or provide a platform) to video the Netflix's if the world for free?
Seems I read that Netflix was consuming 40% of the total USA bandwidth. Seems Netflix should be tossing coins into the pot for all those bits. Yes they'd have to charge more, but is you use it pay for it.
 
....... is it really fair for the ISP's to supply access (or provide a platform) to video the Netflix's of the world for free?

Oh, I can feel some of our posters here gathering the torches and pitchforks. They don't want to hear it - but TANSTAAFL.
 
Seems I read that Netflix was consuming 40% of the total USA bandwidth. Seems Netflix should be tossing coins into the pot for all those bits. Yes they'd have to charge more, but is you use it pay for it.
Netflix is paying their ISP for the bandwidth they use, why should they have to pay for it twice?
 
I'm not trying to rain on your parade. But yes, moderate. As in mod-er-eight. If that word offends your sensibilities, how about "temper your enthusiasm". It was intended to be a suggestion from one professional to another. My own years have been spent exclusively on the technical end, and - reading your stuff - I already had the feeling you'd gotten your hands dirty at some point in the past. But that snapshot résumé is lacking broadband satellite internet experience, and - from my perspective as a satcom engineer with satellite internet credentials - you're comin' across like a salesman on a script.

Not to say that Wildblue isn't intent upon putting out an improved product. It's clear that they have to do something to stay in competition with Hughes. But your glowing narrative is having the effect of establishing expectations from a new and improved Wildblue service that may be impossible to meet once the system actually evolves. That's what I meant by "when the rubber meets the road". So my suggestion to "moderate" was essentially suggesting you lower expectations to a degree where benefiting customers will be impressed - rather than be disappointed that they bought into the hype.

Keep up the work. But don't over-sell something that might come back to bite your otherwise well-deserved credentials in the ass.

Given that $90/mo is more expensive than the prevalent satellite internet services, I can't see $90 DSL garnering a whole lot of (informed) subscribers. Point in case; neighboring town 9 miles distant has WISP service. Until they put in a repeater, I was too far out to get service that could compete with my broadband satellite speed (2000/300 @ $80/mo). But with the addition of a new repeater, I'm lookin' at the possibility of 3MB service for $40/mo.

//greg//


:) Well i am certainly not an engineer. I do have technical back ground. im most certainly not on a script but yes i am a sales guy... and respectfully, not going to "temper my enthusiasm". Its my job to prepare people for this initiative. At the same time i do fully understand skepticism. We do have teams of engineers working on this project from both ViaSat and WildBlue and in some cases its been for close to a decade...

either way, it will be what it will be.. My point to even get on this forum it eliminate and misconceptions on what we feel is going to happen and thought useful...

its all good. :)
 
Netflix is paying their ISP for the bandwidth they use, why should they have to pay for it twice?


Yes, they do they pay access to the cloud from their servers. I have no doubt that that pipe is quite large. However, I'm pretty sure they are not paying for the delivery to the end user.

DirecTv and Dish pay for the entire transport of their video service, Back haul, Programming, Satellite, all of it. Netflix only pays a fraction of the entire transport.

Interesting to see how it all plays out. Then there is Net Neutrality, which i haven't grasped entirely quite yet. (it has to do with limiting different types of data (video))
 
Is "Fixed WISP" Terrestrial Wireless? If so what technology provides that speed?

I have Terrestrial Wireless, Motorola Calypso? and it is running ~300Kb/s up and down at $30/mo.

I have seen speeds at 6 MB 15 miles away with wireless internet from the POP with different types of gear (High Gain Antennas, Tranzeo, Deliberant, etc). 6 MB was the maximum amount of data we had at the time.
 
If some DSL service costs as much as $90 per month, that is not much different than a Hughestnet / Wildblue customer paying that much or more for their so called premium tiers. A lot of people would switch to DSL/wireless in a heartbeat and pay more for the privelidge. In many cases it will not cost $90 per month and DSL can be had dry loop without the phone service.

I am not saying that there is not a market for satellite broadband as there is and I do expect satellite broadband to improve and I think a major improvement is needed. If they improved enough then some providers would not look as much into growing into smaller areas where satellite broadband would be viable competition. The way I see it now, satellite broadband is not competition at all but merely a desperate move for people to get broadband in unserved areas where there are no other options.
 

HughesNet going back to 7k KU band??

Internet Speed

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