Is Earthlink Internet Satellite?

Earthlink is probably one of the oldest and most recognized ISPs that exist in the United States. The company started in 1994 and, within a few years, became one of the leading dial-up Internet service providers during the early stage of the Internet for common users.

Presently, nearly three decades later, Earthlink remains an Internet Service Provider offering Internet connection to residential and commercial clients. But with the developments in internet technology over the past few decades, many individuals are asking – is Earthlink satellite internet? Or perhaps, it offers an internet connection in another form?

What is Satellite Internet?

Before I can answer the question of whether or not Earthlink offers satellite internet it is important to know what satellite internet is. Satellite internet is designed by having a satellite located in space to relay internet signals back to the Earth.

Satellite internet service provider places satellites into a geostationary orbit, which may be as high as 22,000 miles above the Earth. These satellites are an intermediary wireless transmission between your spot on the globe and the internet infrastructure. When you sign up for satellite internet, your signal goes from your satellite dish to the orbiting satellites and from there to a ground station linked to high-speed fiber optic networks.

The major strength of satellite internet is accessibility. Satellite technology benefits are useful to offer broadband Internet to areas that cannot be covered by cable or DSL, such as remote or rural regions. If you can see the southern sky, you can get satellite internet just about anywhere in the contiguous 48 states.

The disadvantages are that it is not as fast as a wired connection, in some cases it can be slower and the latency is also higher. The other cause of outages is by the occurrence of rain, snow, or storms that interfere with the atmosphere. Satellite bandwidths are also distributed across all customers in the specific areas served by the satellite and this may slow down the bandwidths during peak usage.

Earthlink’s Internet Offerings

Now, let us return to the initial question – does any part of Earthlink’s internet service include satellites? The answer is negative; however, Earthlink does offer dial-up, DSL, and fiber optic internet service coverage across a vast region; at the same time, it does not offer any satellite internet services.

However, through a more detailed analysis, it is possible to identify that Earthlink offers internet services mainly through DSL and fiber optic. DSL internet from Earthlink means your connection goes through telephone wires from your home to the nearest telephone company facility. From there your traffic connects to Earthlink’s high-speed fiber optic networks and the Internet backbone.

If fiber optics is available in your area, Earthlink may also offer fiber internet service at a significantly faster speed than DSL. Fiber optic internet transmits your traffic in the form of light signals through cables made of glass fibers buried underground. This enables the utilization of almost infinite bandwidth over a dedicated connection that does not depend on the weather, as in the case of a satellite Internet connection.

Considerations for Satellite Internet

Satellite internet is not available today through earth link but satellite technology has enhanced in the recent past. Later satellite constellations such as SpaceX Starlink have higher bandwidth and speed than the earlier satellite systems.

Therefore satellite internet can still be useful for rural or remote areas where fiber and cable internet is unavailable. Accessibility of the satellite to the open sky is necessary for the signal to be received clearly; trees or the physical terrain may interfere. Do not forget to investigate costs associated with satellite equipment purchase and installation and possible monthly usage limits that may be tied to overall cost.

DSL, fiber optic, cable, or other internet connections are much cheaper and more stable for most suburban or urban regions compared to satellite connections. But satellite serves a vital purpose of offering broadband connection to isolated homes, businesses, and communities all over the country. It is not only the technology associated with the specific services offered by Earthlink.

The Bottom Line

Although satellite internet availability is on the increase in North America, Earthlink does not offer satellite internet services at the moment. Rather, it provides DSL and fiber optic internet in a vast coverage area of the country. Satellite technology as a mode of data communication has some benefits and drawbacks compared to physical links through wires or cables.

Therefore if you are planning to use Earthlink for the home or business broadband connection you are assured of a high speed broadband connection without the inconvenience of installing a satellite dish. However, satellite internet does remain a viable choice if you are in a very rural area that has little or no other cheap broadband options.