Stumbled onto reliable rural internet access

[ustmd]

I got it as a secondary internet to our existing provider---between me, the wife and the kid all working for home, bandwidth can be at a premium.

So far it is pretty good. I have notice a few hiccups. For example, if you have not been connected to the internet for awhile (for example we use it to stream on a TV that we only turn on for about an hour in the evening), there is a lag and spotty connection for the first 1-2 minutes, but it then evens out.


When I signed up 3-4 months ago, they told me there are limited spaces for each tower and a total cap for a zip code. That way, they can can keep congestion down and speeds up.

I think this was part of the deal that Verizon made with the Government to get the merger with Sprint to go through.

 

[dmccarty]

We got UbiFi a few years ago, it is expensive at $90 a month, but it has been reliable and we have never been limited by bandwidth. Speed from our tests before ordering were 6-8 mbps on average, if I remember right, but it can be much faster depending on the traffic to the tower. I think we could get faster speeds if we put put up an outside antennae.

Waiting for StarLink...

Later,
Dan

 

[sixdogs]

It looks like rural internet is now on the front burner for a lot of states. I also think one of the Trump budgets had increased funding for fast rural internet access and it does look like our time is coming.

 

[SylvainG]

The service is called LTE Home. I have had it for 3 or 4 months and regularly get downloads in the 40 to 50 M speed. The system has been flawless except for 8 days a couple of weeks ago when the local tower went down. Of course, if the tower was in LA and not the boondocks where I live it would have been down for 8 hours, not 8 days.

If the tower was in LA, you wouldn't have seen down time since your signal would have been bounced to another tower close by ;-)

 

[SylvainG]

This seems to be quite common in Canada. Most of the rural places receive their internet through the cell service towers.

But you can't get unlimited. My boss has one from Bell and spent a week working from his cottage, like I do (except I'm on unlimited DSL) some time. His bill for that month was over $250 for all the Teams meetings he attended.

 

[TheMan419]

We got UbiFi a few years ago, it is expensive at $90 a month, but it has been reliable and we have never been limited by bandwidth. Speed from our tests before ordering were 6-8 mbps on average, if I remember right, but it can be much faster depending on the traffic to the tower. I think we could get faster speeds if we put put up an outside antennae.

Waiting for StarLink...

Later,
Dan

I have UbiFi as well. I consistently get 10-15 MB. I was getting 1-3 until I put up an external antenna. I think I would do even better if I moved the antenna up to the roof or cut down a tree that is in line of sight to the tower.

 

[TheMan419]

I have this one and you have to move them around or turn sideways, etc to check reception. Mine is on top of a tall dresser and hanging off the edge for best reception. Ideally, outdoors and a wire to the inside would work better but I'm happy with what we get. We pick up channels pretty far away and that surprises me.

Mohu Leaf +

Amplified multi-directional indoor TV antenna

www.crutchfield.com

I don't mean to make this look like an ad for someone but this is just the way it shows up. All I did was post the url from where I bought it.

https://www.amazon.com/Electronics-Wideband-Directional-700-2700-314411/dp/B00J14YEHQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29TADNXVHUE4O&dchild=1&keywords=yagi+antenna+4g+lte&qid=1620679269&sprefix=yagi+antenna%2Caps%2C191&sr=8-1

I have this antenna. Does a great job of giving me more signal.

 

[sixdogs]

I'm the OP on this so here's an update on how things turned out. Verizon Home LTE is wonderful for us. We now get 50 MBS and in a year nothing has gone wrong and haven't lost a minute.

Use is unlimited and price has stayed the same. The two of us can watch YouTube at the same time and I watched a BIG10 football game last week on the 'net. My speed used to be 5-10MBS and is now 50MBS all the time. All is good.

 

[newbury]

Thanks for the update.

 

[WM75Guy]

I'm the OP on this so here's an update on how things turned out. Verizon Home LTE is wonderful for us. We now get 50 MBS and in a year nothing has gone wrong and haven't lost a minute.

Use is unlimited and price has stayed the same. The two of us can watch YouTube at the same time and I watched a BIG10 football game last week on the 'net. My speed used to be 5-10MBS and is now 50MBS all the time. All is good.

We went to Verizon LTE Home 2 months ago based on this thread. Went from Centurylink DSL 4 down/.25 up to 30-50 down/6 up. Not much more in cost. So far it has been great. I am hoping when 5G becomes available the LTE Home won't be throttled to 50 down as a Verizon phone gets 200 down at our house.