Satellite, fixed wireless or cellular internet: which is better out here?

Outside town there is often no cable or fiber, so the choice is satellite, fixed wireless or cellular home internet. Speed matters, but for video calls, gaming and remote work, latency (the delay before anything happens) matters just as much.

What latency means

Latency is how long a signal takes to get there and back, measured in milliseconds (ms). Under about 50 ms feels instant. Several hundred milliseconds makes video calls talk over each other and online games hard to play.

The three options

• Older satellite internet uses satellites about 22,000 miles up, so every signal travels a very long way: latency is high, often over half a second. It works almost anywhere, but video calls and games suffer
• Low-orbit satellite internet, such as Starlink, uses satellites a few hundred miles up, so latency is far lower and much closer to ground-based internet. It needs a clear view of the sky: trees and buildings in the way cause dropouts
• Fixed wireless uses an antenna on your house pointed at a provider's tower. Latency is usually low, but it needs a clear line of sight to the tower, and hills, trees and distance all affect it
• Cellular home internet uses the phone network. It depends entirely on the signal at your address, and can slow down when the tower is busy

How to choose

1. Ask your nearest neighbors what they use and how it does in the evening, when networks are busiest
2. Check each provider's address lookup, and ask about data caps, contracts and the equipment cost
3. For fixed wireless, ask whether the provider can do a site check: can your roof see their tower?
4. For satellite, look at the sky from where the dish would go: it needs a wide, clear view, and Starlink's app has a check that shows whether trees or buildings are in the way
5. If you work from home, run a speed test that shows latency (ping) at the times you work, not just in the morning
6. Choose a provider with a trial period or return policy if you can

Getting the connection where you need it

Whichever you pick, the signal still has to reach the house, the shop and the barn. We help rural homes and farms plan the connection, mount and aim the equipment, and carry good Wi-Fi to every building.

General self-help steps in plain English, checked when we wrote them. Try only what you're comfortable with: if you're unsure, or something smells hot, sparks or swells, stop and call a technician. This isn't professional advice for your exact device. See our website terms.

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