Internet Options for Rural Americans with Limited Access to Broadband

By now, it is no secret that rural America lacks adequate infrastructure for the high-speed broadband Internet access options that the rest of the country has grown accustomed to. This problem has become so prominent that multiple news publications have written in-depth stories about rural areas’ lack of Internet access and the government has also dedicated billions of dollars to improving rural areas’ infrastructure for high-speed Internet.

Meanwhile, Internet companies have conceived of types of Internet for rural areas provided by high-performance alternative rural Internet service providers. These options include unlimited satellite Internet from companies such as HughesNet or Viasat, unlimited 4G rural Internet from companies such as UbiFi, and wireless leased lines.

Satellite Internet is considered a type of broadband Internet access, but it is able to provide high-speed Internet access to rural areas because of its unique use of highly advanced technology. All of the best satellite Internet service providers use satellites in outer space to provide Internet signals nearly anywhere in the world.

In contrast, 4G mobile Internet providers such as UbiFi use the cell towers abundantly strewn throughout rural America to send Internet signals to rural homes. This can be an advantage if you are conveniently located within the range of a cell tower controlled by a company like UbiFi because users within a 4G cell tower’s radius have access to faster Internet speeds and lower levels of latency than most satellite Internet customers experience.

Wireless leased lines are another alternative that rural residents may want to consider. Instead of using traditional broadband methods, wireless leased lines use point-to-point microwave links to provide Internet access. Be sure to consider all options before choosing one.