Internet Guide: Can Rural Areas Have High-Speed Internet Connection?

While living in rural areas packs a lot of advantages, one critical disadvantage of being so distant from major cities is the lack of good internet connection. If you’re the type of person who likes to take matters into their own hands, you’ll be pleased to know that it is possible to improve your Wi-Fi connection. This article will give you all the information you need.

Why are Rural Areas Underserviced?

There is a reason for the lack of fast internet in rural areas and it’s not about negligence. Currently, most rural residents have their internet connection in the form of DSL which has a typical speed of 6 Mbps. Not to mention, it’s quite unreliable given the fact that the speed highly depends on the distance from the phone company hub. Meanwhile, in the main parts of Ontario and Toronto, you can access the internet through high-speed wireless connection and optic fibers, even. Meaning, instead of settling for 6 Mbps, you can expect an average of 25 Mbps with a possible increase, regardless of the distance between you and the service provider.

So, why such a vast difference in speeds? It’s a matter of dollars and cents. In order to extend the network outside the cities to connect the small population occupying rural areas, a huge amount of money must be paid. The return on such a project, however, is never promising enough. Not only are there not many potential customers (individuals or businesses) out there, but also most companies are much more invested in improving their current services for the urban areas. It’s as simple as that.

What is High-Speed Connection and How Does it Work?

Now, when we talk about high-speed connection for rural areas, we mean fixed wireless internet connection. Unlike DSL internet, fixed wireless signals don’t rely on phone lines. In fact, they don’t rely on wires at all. This makes fixed wireless internet a lot faster, more usable, and more reliable than other alternatives. It all goes back to the source of the signals, which is a transmission tower. Most of us have seen one of those before; they look just like cell phone towers and they are responsible for distributing the signal to a 10-mile radius.

In order to access the internet, you need to own a receiver or an antenna and place it in an area where it has a clear shot at the tower, unobstructed by any trees or buildings. That way, you can ensure a more stable signal and a faster connection. Once the antenna picks up the signal, it channels that signal to your router, placed indoors. This router is the one linking bridge between the internet and your devices. To recap, the signal goes from the tower to the antenna to the router to your devices. Now, because that tower is grounded and so close that it can often be seen by the naked eye, it makes for a better internet source than satellite connection which can easily be impacted by the weather.

How to Make the Right Choice?

When we talk about the “right” choice, we mean the right choice for you. We’ve already established that you can, indeed, get faster internet regardless of how far you are from the city. Before you go ahead and make a decision, however, you’ve got to know how to pick the choice that will satisfy your needs. Your choice of a package should mainly depend on what you intend to use the connection for. For example, someone running an online business from home will need more internet than someone who’s only a little interested in staying connected with the world.

The most important factor you want to consider here is the number of people and devices in your household. A perk of wireless connection is that it allows more than one person to connect to the same network. However, when signing up for a package, you need to take into consideration that the speed you’re signing up for, be it 10, 15, 25, or more Mbps, is eventually going to get divided among the users.

There is nothing that says you can’t enjoy the peace and quiet away from the city and have good internet at the same time. A fixed wireless connection can get you the reliable internet you need, in exchange for a slightly higher price than DSL. Although, given how essential and predominant the use of the internet has become, having a high-speed connection has become a necessity rather than a luxury.