Satellite and mobile Internet companies are consistently some of the best rural Internet service providers. On the surface, these two types of Internet for rural areas are fairly similar. They both provide high-speed, high-performance service that is available even in highly remote areas. These traits make them ideal alternatives to fiber optic and cable Internet services, which are not available in the majority of rural communities.
However, there are a few key differences that may cause rural residents to choose one type of Internet over the other. The most obvious difference is the methods that satellite Internet providers and 4G mobile Internet providers use to transmit Internet signals to users. While mobile Internet companies like UbiFi use cell towers scattered throughout rural America to provide Internet connection, satellite Internet companies like Starlink use satellites orbiting our planet to send Internet signals nearly anywhere in the world. This gives satellite Internet companies a much wider reach than mobile Internet providers.
However, satellite Internet’s transmission methods are also the source of one of its biggest weaknesses. Because of the distance Internet signals have to travel between satellites in outer space and rural households, there is a significant delay that causes high latency. Satellite Internet has the highest levels of latency out of all the rural Internet options. In contrast, mobile Internet providers like UbiFi have much lower levels of latency and can even be faster in areas where users experience ample coverage from cell towers. UbiFi and its cohorts can provide the best Internet for rural gaming if potential customers are looking for rural Internet service that is reliable enough to handle graphically challenging online multiplayer games.