This is long and boring, but I figure someone out there -- especially someone who lives in a remote area -- may have some valuable advice.
I'm in the process of moving to a very rural part of Tennessee where phone/Internet/cell options are very limited. Right now in Ohio, I have Time Warner Roadrunner (very pleased with the service) and a Verizon phone with a tethering option (also very pleased). However, cable Internet isn't an option where the house is located in Tennessee, and Verizon -- the only carrier with any service at all in the area down there -- has just a bar or two of service in and around the house.
Since I work from home as an editor/reporter on a fairly busy website, Internet and phone access is pretty important. Here's what I'm thinking:
- DSL Internet service. I've been told I can get up to 4MB down/1MB up service, but I'm guessing it'll be closer to 1MB down since I live so far from their equipment. It'll be installed Monday, so I'll know for sure then. I plan to use this as my primary option for downloading large work files, streaming Netflix/Amazon (if the connection even allows it), streaming some online events for work, streaming audio (Sirius, Pandora, etc.) and other things that eat up data but don't usually require immediacy. Still, if I max out at 1MB or so, I may just need to give up the streaming plans completely and deal with it. However, other DSL customers in the area who have the 4/1 option tell me they use Netflix and Youtube with little buffering, so I've got my fingers crossed.
- Land line. I'm required to have it with the DSL service, and I figure it's a good backup since anyone I called on my cellphone while in Tennessee was having problems hearing me. I could hear everyone crystal clear, but they were hearing the occasional robot voice, or I'd drop out completely for a second or two. For work, interviews, radio call-ins, etc., I need something reliable, so this should work.
- Exede satellite Internet. The reviews seem to be mixed, and most of what I've read regarding customer service scares me, but the 12MB option is apparently available in my area. It's expensive, but I could use this for the daily writing/researching/editing/website posting, uploading photos to the content system, etc. The drawback is the data cap (I currently average 200GB/month on Roadrunner). So I won't use it for video streaming or large video files unless it's during the "free zone" period. This certainly has a lot of drawbacks, but for posting a breaking-news story or needing to quickly download/upload something, at least I have the backup option if DSL is down or running super slowly.
- Verizon Wireless Network Extender: The idea of paying for the service, the extended AND the broadband sucks, but at least my cell wouldn't be an expensive paperweight that doesn't work in my house. I've heard that the extender will work and also that it won't work with Exede, so who knows for sure. I guess I'd have to use the DSL option and hope it's fast enough to handle the cell calls. While I could shift all my calling to the landline, it'd be a pain in the ass to get all my contacts using the landline number, and I still want a cellphone when I'm traveling.
Again, it'd all be pricey, and it's definitely not an ideal setup. But I think it'd give me some peace of mind and some backups if all goes to hell.
Anyone is a similar situation? Anyone have any experience with a setup like this?
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