subject: Satellite Internet and Online Access Options in Rural Tennessee [print this page] Satellite Internet and Online Access Options in Rural Tennessee
The song "Rocky Top," is synonymous with the way of life that Tennessee residents have come to love. The song discusses in casual prose (and in a distinct bluegrass/country style) the simpler life that the singer used to have in the hills of Tennessee. Themes of Appalachian culture are omnipresent in the song, and it's become closely associated with the Volunteers of the University of Tennessee since the 1970's. Although Tennessee has changed a lot in the past forty years, there are still many parts in the hills that are just as rural as the singer in "Rocky Top" suggests. Telephones and TV aren't found in every household, but there are certainly some TN residents that need to keep up with the outside world. For those folks satellite internet access offers new options combined with ease of use.
The Tennessee hills have always been distinct from the more urban and cosmopolitan populations found in Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis. Although bluegrass and country music might still be king in these places, the aire is more sophisticated, and access to utilities and public services is readily available. For folks living in the hills, the arrival of a phone line might have been a relatively recent phenomenon in the last few decades. Cable TV and high speed cable internet access are likely unavailable, or much further down the list in any case.
This creates a bit of a problem for rural Tennessee residents who have a critical need for online access. This could be for something like a job from home that requires communication with a central office, or perhaps connection to an older family member who lives in such a rural area. Even if cable internet is available, many residents might not want to pay the extra money required for a cable TV package. Although not required in most cases, the internet access without TV service is often prohibitively expensive. The same could be said about DSL from the phone company without a specific type of long-distance service. In these cases, satellite broadband internet access is an ideal solution.
The technology itself has been around for decades, but it wasn't until recently that new providers came along and drove down the cost of equipment, installation, and implementation. Today, satellite internet equipment and service is remarkably similar to the satellite TV mini-dish services that many rural residents are already familiar with. All a customer needs is a clear view of the southern sky, and an installation contractor can have the service up and running inside of a day. The connection is always on, doesn't require a phone line, and provides lightning-fast speeds that make all facets of the internet available to the user at the click of a mouse.
