If you do not currently have Dish Network satellite television service, Starband will cost you $69.99/month plus $599 for the satellite dish, transceiver, and "USB satellite modem". If you already have Dish Network service, the cost is $59.99/month plus $399 for the equipment. If you currently have cable TV, or DirecTV, you can switch to Dish Network satellite television for free (you have to sign a 12 month contract for $39.99/month). You can then pay $59.99 per month for the Starband service, plus $399 for the Starband equipment. You can get all of this info from local Dish Network dealer.
Please note that this is the non Radio Shack route. You can also get this service through Radio Shack. BUT- you have to buy a Compaq PC from them AND your upstream provider will be MSN! If you go through your local Dish Network dealer, you do not have to buy a new PC and you will not be stuck with MSN!
Sprint Broadband Direct is not available in all areas of the continental US. If you live out in the middle of nowhere like I do, Sprint Broadband Direct is not an option. However, even from the middle of nowhere I can see the southern sky, thus I can get Starband.
I live so far out in the sticks this is like a dream come true. We don't even get decent dial-up out here. 9.6Kbps is what I get on a good day - and this is right from the telco demarc. It certainly isn't inside wiring causing the slowness!
What really sucks is this... divide that 9.6 Kbps connection by 6 computers. Don't think that just because someone lives in the middle of nowhere that they don't use technology. This "country bumpkin" has two Redhat boxen, one Solaris/Sparc box, one Win 2000 Pro box, one Mac G4 box, and my pride and joy, an IBM AS/400E.
Country bumpkin my ass...
DirecPC is not a two way satellite service. You get ~400Kbps downstream, but you are stuck with ~56Kbps dial-up for your upstream. This means you also have to have a dial-up ISP, or pay extra to use the dial-up system provided by DirecPC.
Slashdot Mirror
If you do not currently have Dish Network satellite television service, Starband will cost you $69.99/month plus $599 for the satellite dish, transceiver, and "USB satellite modem". If you already have Dish Network service, the cost is $59.99/month plus $399 for the equipment. If you currently have cable TV, or DirecTV, you can switch to Dish Network satellite television for free (you have to sign a 12 month contract for $39.99/month). You can then pay $59.99 per month for the Starband service, plus $399 for the Starband equipment. You can get all of this info from local Dish Network dealer. Please note that this is the non Radio Shack route. You can also get this service through Radio Shack. BUT- you have to buy a Compaq PC from them AND your upstream provider will be MSN! If you go through your local Dish Network dealer, you do not have to buy a new PC and you will not be stuck with MSN!
Sprint Broadband Direct is not available in all areas of the continental US. If you live out in the middle of nowhere like I do, Sprint Broadband Direct is not an option. However, even from the middle of nowhere I can see the southern sky, thus I can get Starband.
I live so far out in the sticks this is like a dream come true. We don't even get decent dial-up out here. 9.6Kbps is what I get on a good day - and this is right from the telco demarc. It certainly isn't inside wiring causing the slowness! What really sucks is this... divide that 9.6 Kbps connection by 6 computers. Don't think that just because someone lives in the middle of nowhere that they don't use technology. This "country bumpkin" has two Redhat boxen, one Solaris/Sparc box, one Win 2000 Pro box, one Mac G4 box, and my pride and joy, an IBM AS/400E. Country bumpkin my ass...
DirecPC is not a two way satellite service. You get ~400Kbps downstream, but you are stuck with ~56Kbps dial-up for your upstream. This means you also have to have a dial-up ISP, or pay extra to use the dial-up system provided by DirecPC.