Another Option Connecting To the Internet

There has been much in the news lately about the Internet.  Last week I wrote about the relatively slow access speeds we have in the United States.  President Obama weighed in on the Net Neutrality discussion and there were reports about hackers continuing to wreak havoc on our financial institutions.  Solving these issues is well beyond the purview of most of us.  We are more concerned with finding a reliable and affordable ISP (Internet Service Provider) to get us connected.  Think of an ISP as the on-ramp to the information superhighway.

For most of us at home or in small businesses there are few ISP options.  The phone company and the cable company are usually the only games in town.  For large corporations, universities and government there are several more robust options.  One that has been around for a long time but which is extremely expensive and somewhat clunky for home users, is satellite delivered internet service.  You see examples on roof tops of gas stations and big box stores. Small dishes abound. While satellites do allow access almost anywhere, its high cost has put it out of reach for many home users.  A new company, Exede.com www.exede.comis trying to change that.

Exede.com has started to advertise on TV and radio, offering an affordable option to the hard wired ISP.  I have not tested out the system but have done some research on what they offer.  Based what I have found, I think it may be an option for those seeking high speed access to the internet, but who live in locations not well served by traditional providers.  But, like with all introductory offers, it is wise to look at the fine print.

Much like satellite-delivered TV, Exede.com installs a small dish on your roof that receives and transmits a signal to an orbiting satellite.  Both incoming and outgoing data are sent via satellite.  This makes Exede.com different than some earlier satellite ISPs which used the satellite for incoming data only (downloading) and your telephone line for outgoing data (uploading).

The company offers three bundles that have monthly fees based on the amount of data you actually use.  This is a big difference from the traditional wired ISPs that most often provide unlimited data usage for home computer use.  Deciding what bundle you need requires you to examine how you use the Internet.  If you daily use email, surf the web, use social media, and watch a few videos, the basic package providing some 15 gigabits per month will serve you well. The introductory monthly fee for this service is $49 ($39 if you bundle with their phone service). If, on the other hand you watch lots of movies and TV on Netflix or Hulu Plus, you may need to sign up for the premium package costing about $100 per month.

Exede.com promises speeds of about 12 mb/s for downloading, which is better than most of us have with our wired ISP.  But there are some restrictions on when you use the service.  Use in the early mornings (3AM thru 8AM) is free while use during the heart of the business day is metered, and counts against your monthly allowance.

For those who are not able to get good service from a wired ISP, Exede.com might be a good option.  Be sure to read the details  so you don’t get locked into a plan with a hefty exit clause like some mobile phone plans.

For those who are not now able to get good service from a wired ISP, Excite.com might be a good option.  Be sure to read the detailshttp://www.exede.com/documents/master/exede-disclaimer.pdf so you don’t get locked into a plan with a hefty exit clause like some mobile phone plans.