What Makes for Good Internet Service: Key Features to Consider

In today’s digital age, having reliable internet service is essential for work, education, entertainment, and staying connected with loved ones. Here are the key features to look for.

SPEED

Download and Upload Speeds: The speed of your internet connection is one of the most critical factors. Download speed determines how quickly you can access websites, stream videos, and download files, while upload speed affects how fast you can send emails, share files, and participate in video calls.

For most households, a download speed of at least 25 Mbps is recommended for standard activities, while higher speeds (50 Mbps and above) are ideal for gaming, streaming in HD, and multiple users.

RELIABILITY

Consistency: Good internet service should provide a stable connection without frequent interruptions. A reliable connection is crucial, especially for remote work and online learning.

LATENCY

Ping Rate: Latency, often measured in milliseconds (ms), refers to the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the server and back. Lower latency is essential for activities like online gaming and video conferencing, where real-time interaction is crucial. A ping rate under 20 ms is generally considered excellent.

DATA CAPS

Unlimited vs. Limited Plans: We have truly unlimited plans without throttling while some providers impose data caps, limiting how much data you can use in a month. If you stream, game, or work from home frequently, opt for an unlimited data plan to avoid overage fees and throttling of service after data limits are reached.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Support Availability: Internet service goes beyond just speed; it includes responsive customer support and staff. While our office is open M-F 8-5pm, we have an off-duty 24/7 line to leave messages for our on-call technician to resolve issues. While some larger providers can take weeks/month to support a customer in rural areas, we can respond to support customers with same or next day support.

EQUIPMENT OPTIONS

Modems and Routers: Having quality equipment can greatly affect your internet experience, especially regarding speed and coverage. We currently use a variety of ASUS Wi-Fi routers on our system ranging from basic to meshed gaming routers.

Wi-Fi Performance: If you are using Wi-Fi, consider the router’s capabilities. Dual-band routers, which support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, can improve performance and reduce interference. Some devices only operate on a single band as well, making the dual band router the best overall choice. While newer Wi-Fi 6 & 7 routers have access to a 3rd and newer 6 GHz Wi-Fi band and WPA3 encryption. Most devices will be unable to use these newer features on the routers simply because they were never initially built to be capable of the newer features.

FLEXIBILITY AND CONTRACTS

Flexibility: There is nothing more frustrating than choosing something that does not fit your needs. This is the reasoning that we created extreme flexibility with our speed packages allowing them to be trialed and changed without charging additional fees. Once you decide what speed package works for you, we only charge the difference of the speed packages.

Contract Terms: We offer both short and long-term contracts that range from month-to-month to 3 years. Shorter contracts can be beneficial if you anticipate moving, are seasonal or changing your internet needs. Longer contracts can be beneficial if you do not anticipate moving. Our month-to-month contract allows our customers the ability to turn on/off service without fees, making this contract a favorite for seasonal needs.

LOCAL AVAILABILITY

Service Availability: Not all service providers are created equal. Frequently, local ISPs can provide better service and support than larger national companies. Being a Wireless ISP, we can build numerous modular communication sites to overcome topographical barriers in these rural areas.

Power Outage: With frequent power outages and surges rolling thru these rural communities. We have built backup power systems into most of our sites to keep communications up while everything else is down. We highly encourage customers to also purchase an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) with surge protection to protect their local equipment and to keep their devices online during an outage.

SCABILITY

Future Needs: Consider your future internet needs. As more devices connect to your network and data consumption increases, you may require higher speeds or additional features. Being able to understand future internet needs has allowed us to periodically upgrade our speed packages to customers free of charge. We have also adopted newer features like meshing & smart-connect to expand local Wi-Fi coverage.

CONCLUSION

Good internet service is essential for navigating our increasingly digital world. By considering factors like speed, reliability, customer service, and flexibility, you can find an internet plan that meets your needs. With the right internet service, you can enjoy seamless connectivity for work, education, and entertainment, empowering you to make the most of your online experience.