• Incompatability with important applications
• Virtually inextensible capacity
• Service interruptions
• Limited downloads
• Slow uploads
• Higher cost

Incompatability with important applications

Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and other remote access applications and applications that use non-TCP/IP protocols (like IPX/SPX) do not function properly via satellite. VPN client software suffers from speeds similar to that of a dial-up connection.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone service, (such as Skype or Vonage), video over IP, and certain online interactive games (particularly “shooter” games that depend on split-second responsiveness for the “survival” of the player) rely on instantaneous feedback, and the latency is often too much for satisfactory performance.

In a network, latency, a synonym for delay, is an expression of how much time it takes for a packet of data to get from one designated point to another. The main culprit causing satellite service latency is the 44,480 mile roundtrip the Internet signals must travel from Earth to geosynchronous orbiting satellites and back.

Since Cloudburst wireless signals only have to travel a few miles, we can easily provide VPN, VoIP, and gaming capabilities.

Virtually inextensible capacity

Satellites have a finite capacity. As more and more subscribers are assigned to a satellite, there is less and less bandwidth to share. The subscribers must all experience slower connections and lower throughput. It is extemely costly and time-consuming to launch new satellites to increase capacity.

Cloud Alliance regularly monitors network capacity. If capacity begins to be challenged, it is relatively simple and inexpensive for us to purchase more bandwidth and add new transceivers and antennas to our land-based network stations.

Service interruptions

Like satellite television services, satellite Internet service can be affected by rain. During heavy rain, there is degraded performance, and the service can stop altogether during downpours. The reason for this is that, here in the North, the dish antennas are pointed low in the sky, so they must see through many miles of wet atmosphere, before the signals can escape to space on their way to the satellite.

Cloudburst wireless signals are completely unaffected by weather.

Limited downloads

In order to conserve their precious bandwidth capacity, satellite service providers set monthly download limits—very limiting ones, too! Exceed them, and your service is throttled down to dial-up speeds until the next month!

Cloud Alliance imposes no monthly limits to normal use.

Slow uploads

Also, to conserve bandwidth capacity, satellite service providers significantly limit upload access to their subscribers—often with speeds nearly as slow as dial-up.

Cloud Alliance offers generous upload speeds, so that our subscribers’ photos, music, videos, and other large files will speed their way to their recipients.

Higher cost

Because of the millions of dollars required to launch and maintain satellites, providers charge considerably higher than normal rates for service.

Cloudburst broadband rates are very competitive—especially when combined with the savings of VoIP telephone service. See a comparison of CA’s and the satellite providers’ rates here.