Michael and Charmaine Wilson say satellite internet is one solution to the South Shore’s connectivity problems.
The husband-wife duo, who own South Shore Satellite, have been providing television and internet services across the region for 15 years and have seen the results firsthand.
Michael noted satellite internet avoids many of the obstacles faced by land-based providers, specifically rugged landscapes and large distances between would-be customers and existing infrastructure.
“As much as everyone thinks they can get fibre to their home, it’s never going to happen in Lunenburg County,” he explained.
“There’s no one who can’t get our (satellite) service.”
And over the last 18 months, South Shore Satellite has connected nearly 1,000 customers in Lunenburg County who previously thought they’d never have high-speed internet.
Although satellite services have evolved over the last number of years, the principle remains the same: as long as there is a direct line of sight, you can get satellite internet.
Charmaine added most clients can be connected within three days of calling — quite a feat, considering many parts of Lunenburg County have been labelled as service dead zones.
“WIth the way we operate, we can have a technician on site in one to three business days,” she said.
Once on site, the technician conducts a test to ensure line of sight before hooking up the dish.
For customers in heavily wooded areas, Charmaine added the technician will often install a post or attach the gear to some other structure to maximize the signal.
Packages cost between $40 to $100 with various data caps.
Michael said the company partners with Xplornet network and is careful to monitor bandwidth to provide a dependable experience.
“They would rather provide a consistent speed than oversell and have unhappy customers,” he said.
Although they acknowledged their service doesn’t currently meet the CRTC’s impending internet standards, both Michael and Charmaine said satellite is an option that can help connect people today.
They also said the network’s speeds are scalable.
“It’s really no different than any Internet-based service other than it’s coming from a satellite 28,000 miles away,” said Michael.
