WildBlue Satellite ISP. Can't wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mdbelt]

Anyone heard news from the satellite ISP front? I'm "chomping at the bit" anticipating WildBlue's release. According to WildBlue.com they will launch service in the "second quarter of 2005". Any inside information? Rumors? Good stuff?

I don't know about you other country bumpkins, but I think this will be the greatest thing in satellite ISPs since (fill in a really great personal event related to satellite ISPs).

P.S. Anyone know the outside diameter of a WildBlue dish [mounting pole]? I want to make sure that my satellite dish "tree" is ready once service is launched.

 

[mdbelt]

WildBlue Mounting Pole Diameter - Located.

I got a response from WildBlue about the mounting pole diameter it is as follows:

Q:I am preparing a site for mounting my existing satellite dishes as well as the WildBlue dish so that I will be able to have the dish installed where & how I want it when service becomes available. One quick question. What is the Outside Diameter (in inches) of the mounting pole for the WildBlue dish?

A:Installers should be using a pole mount with a diameter of 2 3/8" If you are going to be putting this in the ground yourself please be aware that the it is up to the installer if they would use that or if they would want to set up the pole themselves. We currently do not offer customer's to install equipment themselves so really this is something you would need to speak directly with the installer about when they called to set up your install date.

 

[pretzelboy]

Did you happen to read their Fair Access Policy? I hope you aren't planning on using it too heavily. While it's not nearly as bad as DirecWay's FAP WildBlue's will kick in if you download 10GB in a calendar month and reduce your speed to 128kdown/28kup for the balance of that month. I've got one computer that sits fairly quietly and it still pulls about 2GB a month while the other pulls about 15.

 

[bryan27]

I saw that, but 128K down is still more than double 56K dial-up. Just don't do any major uploads for the remainder of the month and try to get all the spyware off your computer Their begining price is really reasonable if your only choice is satellite or dial-up.

Regarding mounting, I would prefer pole mount for Wildblue. I'm sure if you put the pole in yourself or pay extra for the pole mount the installer isn't going to say no.

Where will service commence? I saw that the Wildblue 1 satellite isn't due to launch until mid 2006, but their site says they will start service in the 2nd quarter of 2005.

 

[CbandLover]

From what I read, they are using capacity on the Anik F2 sat Ka band with 31 spot beams. I could be wrong, though. I believe F2 is at 111.1 degrees west.

 

[CbandLover]

From what I read, they are using capacity on the Anik F2 sat Ka band with 31 spot beams. I could be wrong, though. I believe F2 is at 111.1 degrees west. I pitty anyone who does not have cable or dsl access and must use sat for internet. : (

 

[Satellite Expert]

From what I read, they are using capacity on the Anik F2 sat Ka band with 31 spot beams. I could be wrong, though. I believe F2 is at 111.1 degrees west.

correct

 

[Stargazer]

If it aint one thing its another. The price might be dropping but now we are looking at bandwidth restrictions? I guess thats been the case all along with the other satellite broadband internet companies as well.

 

[siliconswamp]

15 Gigs isn't that much.......

I don't think that I will give up my cable modem for satellite anytime soon.... I pay 39.95 For 5Meg down, 512 Up and no bandwidth restrictions.... Would be nice if they would have a better capacity for the month like maybe 25 G at least.... Just a thought... I looked at my firewall for this month and so far I am at 30GB Inbound and about 3 GB Outbound... They would so cut me off for that on satellite....

Verizon is experimenting with a terrestrial system that is good for 500k both ways.... It is availible here in New Orleans, Louisiana.... I have not seen it but seems promising if they can deploy it to all their cell sites.... Something to look forward to.... Maybe as a viable competitor of satellite... (Off Topic a little but felt it may be of some information)

 

[pretzelboy]

As someone who has had DirecWay, DSL and Cable I can say I was never so glad to get rid of DirecWay when cable internet became available after a move. Thankfully, I even got most of my money back out of the equipment selling it.

 

[Satellite Expert]

The target audience of satellite hispeed is those who do NOT have access to DSL or cable hispeed.

 

[jlhugh]

I have had the Directway one-way dish and it is no where near like my DSL. This service if for people who cannot get any other type of broadband. You might want to see if they is maybe a wireless internet somewhere around before going to the dish.

 

[pretzelboy]

I would have been more happy with DirecWay if they had more consistent quality of service. I had a 2-way system and the transponder I was on was constantly affected by heavy daytime business hours traffic. 8-5:30 daily and downstream speeds varied wildly. The caching system was always a problem. Upstream 28k was ridiculous. The FAP was very frustrating. And I'm in an area that has frequent heavy summer storm activity and I'd frequently lose service until it passed.

 

[Stargazer]

Might as well have dialup return than to have 28k uplink to the satellite.

 

[bookwalk]

I have been watching the Wildblue progress and emailed them a while back--but I could not get any response on the upfront cost of the equipment or installation--has anyone been able to find out that information?

 

[Stargazer]

I want internet via satellite even more now once I found out about my phone company reducing my data speed. We have been with Verizon for a long time (even back when they were Bell Atlantic). I was getting 53K until I switched to Fibernet phone service which had a better deal with their package. Well my internet connection speed got cut in half to 24K. They said that they had to go through another box and each one they go through cuts the speed in half. There was nothing that could be done about it.

We had billing issues and they wanted $17 do downgrade service to a cheaper package so that was the final straw and we switched back to Verizon and got service switched back to them today after being with the other company for a few months. My connection speeds are still slow ranging from 21K to 28.8K but averaging 24K. They said that it depends on what switchboard/place they hook me up at and I asked if they could hook me up to the one I was on or one that I could get the 53K on. They said they could not do that and that they only guarantee a dialtone, that I will receive phone calls and be able to send them.

Another CSR told me that they only guarantee 12K and they tell me that they only provide phone service and that their lines were not made for the internet and cannot guarantee an internet connection through their lones, only phone service. I said that was pathetic that its bad enough at 53K. I cannot get DSL, Cable Broadband, Wireless, or anything out here. If I didnt have web browser accelerator then I would be browsing at a crawl. You would think that the service would get better, not worse.

I went from bad to worse with dialup and it is out of my hands. I told them that maybe I should keep disconnecting service and connecting service back until I do get my 53K back. They said that they could come out and check the lines on the outside of my home but if they find no problems with it then they would charge me over $90 for coming out. I told them that was NOT acceptable. What other options do I have here or so I really have any other than the expensive two-way satellite internet? I live 7 road miles in between two towns that has cable internet and DSL.

 

[RandyVsatus]

Wild Blue Prices...

I have been watching the Wildblue progress and emailed them a while back--but I could not get any response on the upfront cost of the equipment or installation--has anyone been able to find out that information?

Sure, equipment will cost approx. $300. Installation hasn't been quoted, but expected to be about $300.

 

[CbandLover]

Self Install

Remember when DirecTV came out in 94 and people could install it themselves? I do, I sold the systems for 2 years. And RCA sold about 1 million receivers in 10 months. If WB would allow that, they would save subs all kinds of money on installations, and their sub numbers would be much higher. Sell them at local retailers and let us install it like DirecTV. That is my opinion.

Somebody correct me though if there is a license required for install of transmitting equip.

 

[dragon002]

some answers,

mast is the same diameter as directv/dish

dish size is same as dish network single lnb dish

128 is GUARANTEED speed......UP!!

price at the meeting was 300 eq, and 198 install, NO SELF INSTALLS, PERIOD

pole mount, unless you do it yourself, you ARE paying what the market will bear

they ARE NOT going to go thru ANY retailers and our contracts guarantee that

111 west is correct


dragon

 

[Stargazer]

Sorry they are never going to let customers install their own dishes unless they improve the system on transmitting to where it is guaranteed to hit the satellite without interfering with the other ones. WB needs to have a promotion for customers to get customers because the upfront fee is still just to dang high to attract a bunch of people. Dish Network's no money upfront statement a few years back would attract MANY!