The Space Race Among Internet Service Providers
High-speed internet service is a must-have for most Americans. But according to the FCC, as many as 19 million Americans still do not have access to fixed-broadband services. This small subset of the population might never get access, because it is unprofitable for providers to run cable wires in rural areas with low population density. This problem is even more prevalent in countries with less-developed telecom infrastructure.
For those people who live in areas not serviced by fixed broadband, there are few choices. DSL is generally available but at a very slow internet speed. The only option for fast connection speeds is satellite internet.
In the North American market for satellite internet, there are only two providers to choose from, HughesNet (owned by EchoStar (NASDAQ: SATS)) and ViaSat (NASDAQ: VSAT). There are differences in pricing and speed packages offered, but the two services are similar.
Source Fool.com
