Working to Get Internet

I have an appointment today – one that I have with great anticipation.

In Idaho, Mare and I lived in a remote location. High speed internet was limited to satellite (HughesNet, WildBlue or DishNet). All of these are somewhat flaky, slow by landline standards, low data caps and very expensive. So when we landed in another rural location, we hoped our ISP options would be better.

Initially, we used a Verizon hotspot. This suited our needs at the time cuz we didn’t live here. We used it very little, but it provided internet access while working here, the bulk of our internet usage being done through a cable broadband connection in town.

Once we moved in, the data amounts went through the roof. I turned everything off that would use large amounts of data: updates, podcasts, videos, etc. Still the data was racking up fast, as were the Verizon bills.

Last fall, before we even moved in, I contacted AT&T (for DSL) and Sylacauga Utilities Board (for wireless internet).  AT&T said that DSL service should be available in the spring. SUB said that I would need a 200′ tower to get their signal.

When I received the May Verizon bill of $265.16, I knew we had to make a change. And June’s invoice was for $480.16! I thought we would be returning to HughesNet, but with their recent network “upgrade”, which included faster speeds, but no longer offered a free download window during the night, I doubted that would be much more effective.

Additional calls to AT&T just kept stringing me along. They claimed there was a cap on the current central office for DSL. Requests to speak with someone higher up the food chain to see what could be done were ignored.

As it turns out, a friend of a friend is the IT Director for SUB. A call to him yielded some possibilities. He agreed to send out a cherry picker to see if they could pick up their signal.

So, here we are. The cherry picker is here. At first, they park close to the house and move the bucket around a few times. They get a signal, but it is too weak to work. I suggest to them that trying down by the shed where there are less trees may be helpful and that if it works, I already have a network cable buried between the house and shed.

They change locations and quickly pickup a signal. The technician tells me that I would only need a 30′ tower – far less than the 200′ originally indicated.  That is certainly good news!

So, what do I do for a tower? In spite of the fact that we live in a Zone 0 wind area, we actually have quite a bit of wind here in the mountains. Should I just put up a wind tower and piggy back the antenna on that? A lot more dollars and time, both of which we are in short supply. I’ll hafta do some research and mull this over. But I feel a solution is at hand!