subject: From Country Song to Modern City: Satellite Internet in Huntsville [print this page] From Country Song to Modern City: Satellite Internet in Huntsville
Next to big names like Houston and Austin, Huntsville might not be what comes to mind for many when thinking of big towns in Texas. With a reasonably large population of over 35,000 residents, however, Huntsville has a way of putting itself on the map. As with many Texas towns, the name rings a bell for many as the subject of a sappy country song, appropriately titled "Huntsville" on Merle Haggard's Someday We'll Look Back' album. Even though Haggard uses the tune to lament about the city's famous prison, true Texans know that there's more to every small Texas town than meets the eye. The non-incarcerated residents of Huntsville have plenty going on too! Whether there to study, work, or simply live within range of the state's big cities without being right in the middle of it all, towns like Huntsville tend to strike that perfect balance between Texas's wild spirit and its modern amenities.
Nestled in between big time cities Houston and Dallas, Huntsville is a great option for those who like to be near' it all, but certainly not at the heart of the buzz that big cities bring. Students head to Huntsville to attend Sam Houston State University, or for internships with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, also headquartered there. Today, with the availability of satellite internet broadband, a last mile broadband service that picks up where the terrestrial broadband web (think DSL or cable internet) leaves off, it's easier than ever to enjoy the peace and quiet of a small college town while still getting the same top education. Other notable locations around Huntsville include Huntsville State park, the HEARTS Veterans' Museum of Texas, the Texas Prison Museum (for those who just can't get Haggard's refrain out of their heads) and even the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. Famous for its executions, it might not be a surprise that the morbid fact that Huntsville holds the state's execution chamber also draws a fair bit of tourism.
While some still prefer the pull of Texas's big cities, it's easier than ever to enjoy a bit of the easy life while still staying connected due to information technology. Whereas in the past obstacles like an absence of cable television or terrestrial high speed internet were factors to settling outside of Houston, Dallas or Austin, today satellite internet or satellite TV provide equally efficient (and often better) service anyway. In a state like Texas where free market competition between utility providers rules, it can be overwhelming to have so many options, but many Texans are glad to tack satellite internet broadband onto the list. When a place has as many towns, and is essentially made up of rural and remote communities, laying cables can be a lengthy and expensive process. Any technology that takes wireless utilities to the next level is more than welcome. After all, if all that great terrain and those impressive landscapes are ruined in the name of laying wires and cables, it wouldn't really be Texas' anymore anyway.
