If you live out in the country and want high speed Internet access, dial up Internet access just doesn't cut it. Satellite Internet service may be your best bet to enjoy broadband Internet service. There are two different kinds of satellite Internet service, one-way satellite access and two-way satellite access.

A one-way satellite Internet system uses your telephone line for the upload page request. After the page request is received the satellite sends the download signal. One-way access is still a lot faster than dial-up Internet access, but aren't you trying to get rid of dial-up and not tie up your phone line? If tying up your phone isn't an issue to you, one-way access is somewhat reliable but the companies that offer the service are not. Most of these are startup companies that are way under capitalized.

Two-way satellite Internet access has a dish mounted on your home or business that sends the upload page request signal up to the satellite. This eliminates tying up your phone line or adding additional expense for a second line. Two-way satellite Internet service works very similar to satellite TV systems. You will enjoy fast and reliable Internet service.

You may be hearing about voice over Internet phone service (VOIP). There are many advantages of voice over Internet phone service (VOIP). If you can get VOIP you can save a great deal of money on long distance, international calls and all the convenience features such as call waiting, caller ID, messaging, etc. While these VOIP phone plans such as Vonage sound pretty attractive, be careful that you have an Internet service plan that will allow VOIP to perform properly.

One-way satellite service ties up your phone line, so VOIP is out of the question. Two-way satellite access will bring you broadband Internet access but it too has its limitations when used with VOIP. The biggest concern with satellite Internet service is the latency, or lag time. This latency is a small delay from the time you send the upload signal from the dish to the satellite and then back down to you. When browsing the Internet this split second delay may not seem like much but for a phone conversation this delay is huge.

When we talk over a landline our two-way conversations go back and forth just like we are talking face to face. Latency can bring a delay into the picture and suddenly your conversations can overlay each other. Who is to talk when? Have you ever been at a baseball stadium when the national anthem is played and there is a delay in the song? This lag is very similar.

There are some companies promoting VOIP use with satellite Internet access. Be careful, it may work, but maybe not as clear and reliable as you may like. Online gaming is not recommended either because latency affects games as well. VOIP is really best suited with cable or DSL Internet access.

If you live in the country, satellite Internet service will give you the speed you were looking for. I know you may want VOIP but don't just take some salespersons word for it. If you are looking to upgrade your Internet access from dial-up, satellite Internet access is a great option. Enjoy it for the speed and browsing fun that it will deliver.