Internet Access on the Go

[Million Mile Man]

Have anyone tried satellite internet connections? How well they might work? I am planning to make a road trip across several countries, 3G and 4G isn't option, because I think I should get a new sim on almost every country where I go. It is quite expensive to transfer data on other countries. I just wonder can I use satellite internet while driving or should I always stop the car and aim satellite responder? If I can't use satellite while driving, it is also quite useless, because it would be cheaper just to wait until I am at hotel and use internet there.

[Midwest Michael]

I can't tell you much anything about how well SAT phones work. They've always been far too expensive for me to consider using, and I have to think that the cost of using one is going to greatly exceed the cost of switching sim cards, or even the cost of getting a GSM cell phone with an international calling plan.

Again, not an expert on the topic, but I'm pretty sure the main reason people go through the trouble of getting new sim cards in new countries is that it is typically cheaper than trying to use their home provider and getting international roaming charges, not because their phones can't work on the network.

i'll also point out that many states have banned or are moving to ban the use of cell phones while driving, so you might want to consider that as well.

[Lifemagician]

i'll also point out that many states have banned or are moving to ban the use of cell phones while driving, so you might want to consider that as well.

As have many countries!

Lifey

[Million Mile Man]

I don't think that price is a issue. These doesn't cost much more than normal internet connection but I just don't know does they work allover the world. At least satellites will go around the world, so in theory they could work everywhere. I don't want to make any phone calls, I just want to have internet connection so I can update my facebook-status while driving.

In the trip that I have been planning I will keep up a blog, so what I really need would be internet connection so I could upload pictures and videos while driving or my friend could drive and I could write my blog. I just don't know is it possible to use satellite internet while driving or should that satellite antenna be still so it could get a connection to satellite.

[Midwest Michael]

The link you provided was for satellite based internet providers, not for sat based telephones, so if that's your basis for pricing, then you really need to think again.

Texting/Internet browsing is generally considered more dangerous that talking while driving, and at this point has been banned the in vast majority of states (even those that still allow talking on a cell phone while driving.)

[Million Mile Man]

The link you provided was for satellite based internet providers, not for sat based telephones, so if that's your basis for pricing, then you really need to think again.

Texting/Internet browsing is generally considered more dangerous that talking while driving, and at this point has been banned the in vast majority of states (even those that still allow talking on a cell phone while driving.)

I think that shouldn't think again, what I should do is learn more English. It's not my primary language so it is too easy to misunderstood me or maybe I just haven't understood how satellite based intenet works. I am not looking a way to make phone calls. I am looking a way to connect to internet. I still wonder is it possible to use internet via satellite if my friend is driving? I would also use that internet connection to upload pictures and videos, so it doesn't matter is it legal or illegal to use internet while driving, all that matter is it possible, because when I upload things only my computer would use internet, not me or my friend.

[Midwest Michael]

Satellite based internet is completely different from Satellite based phones. What you were looking at requires a fixed satellite dish, just like you would need for satellite TV. It simply is not mobile technology.

There are satellite based phones where you can access the internet like you would through a cell phone, but that is what I was talking about when I said it was extremely expensive, and really not cost-effective for what you want to do.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Satellite based internet is completely different from Satellite based phones. What you were looking at requires a fixed satellite dish, just like you would need for satellite TV. It simply is not mobile technology.

Actually, satellite mobile communication equipment has been around for nearly 20 years. Just about every professional sports team bus and many other similar vehicles have always-on internet connections via satellite.

It is expensive, when I was beta testing such devices in the early 90's the installed cost was about $15000 -- I'm late for a meeting, but when I return I'll provide some links for current pricing.

Using hand-held satellite phones as modems generally doesn't work well, for a whole host of reasons I can mention later.

Mark

[Midwest Michael]

Well, yes there's that too. He was specifically referring to companies like Hughes-net, and other sat based ISP's designed mostly for home/business use.

I'm going to guess that the kind of Sat based mobile communications you are talking about aren't going to be very practical for to include on a couple month trip with rental cars.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Yeah, you really can't simply add such a system to a rental car. This was the state of the art in 2004 And, unless you're a government agency, it's still pretty much what's available.

Using the HughesNet HN7000S modem the optimal connection speeds are average upload speeds of 100-150K and download speeds of 600 - 1000K.

As you can see from these photos -- these are not hand-held units.

In recent weeks, I have seen a couple of satellite systems that I first wrote about in 2001 on private cars -- I really liked the technology -- but I've been unable to find any company currently selling these systems.