Broadband in a Box

Rain Fade Redundancy

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:32:41 +0000

A lot of satellite owners have experienced this: you’re relaxing, watching television, when outside your window an ominous shadow falls over your house. Rain begins to lightly tap on your windows before turning into a torrential downpour. Suddenly the picture on your television begins to scramble to the point of being unwatchable. This is called “rain fade”.

Rain fade can occur on two way satellite services when the satellite signal is disrupted by rain, snow or even heavy cloud cover. While this is only a temporary condition, it seems to occur in the most inopportune times - while you are watching your favorite show or downloading important files. Because of rain fade, satellite has been considered disadvantageous to cable for television or the Internet. But what about when cable or DSL is not an option?

Broadband in a Box has the answer to this issue. By deploying a system known as a terrestrial/satellite hybrid network, Broadband in a Box is able to deliver broadband speed downloads without the interruption of annoying rain fade. Because a two-way home satellite Internet dish system does not have the power (only 2 watts) to send an unhindered signal in bad weather. Broadband in a Box sends the outbound request (uploads) along more reliable telephone lines. The data you requested is then beamed to the orbiting satellite from an 18-foot diameter, 200-watt commercial dish, which is 100x more powerful than the 2.5-foot, 2-watt consumer dish. Internet. The satellite then sends (downloads) web content to the receiving home dish (about 30″ wide) at broadband speed. In the rare case there is rain fade, bidirectional dial-up is used to ensure redundant connectivity.

Because uploads are generally very small packets of data, this entire process takes less than one second. The satellite is powered by rechargeable solar fuel cells that convert high intensity sunlight into electrical energy. Blanketing the entire United States, the satellite relays a powerful, uninterrupted beam back to earth. Such a beam is not easily scattered by rain fall, which allows for continual satellite internet service without rain fade.

Slow Internet?

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:01:29 +0000

Slow Internet is something we all experience, but millions of Americans still experience 19K - 56K everyday without a known option or known affordable option. What if this was you? What opportunities would you be missing? What access to information or education would you never have? Do you have dial-up customers who want high-speed Internet service but can’t get it today?

Broadband in a Box is here to help you to both satisfy their need and retain them as long-term customers. You can do this while still focusing your infrastructure build out in the areas with the greatest financial impact to ensure future build out.

Broadband in a box provides you friendly, professional turn-key support, fulfillment and the marketing needed to make this a success. We would like to discuss how we may work together to begin a great partnership.

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Contact Us

Broadband in a Box Self-Installation

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:58:59 +0000

Broadband in a Box Self-Installation

1. Conduct Site Survey/Select Dish Location - Find a clear line of sight to the Broadband in a Box satellite in the Southern sky to locate your Satellite dish. The satellite signal will not penetrate trees.

(get images from http://www.skywayusa.com/installit.php)

2. Mount the Broadband in a Box Satellite Dish - You’ll need some basic home improvement skills to handle this part of the installation. Tools required include a screw driver, small wrench/pliers, and an electric drill with several size bits. Assembly of the dish, attaching the LNB and mounting on the side of your home should only take an hour or two.

3. Run the Cables from the Dish to the Modem - Secure the grounding block and attach to your main ground. Connect one cable from the LNB to the grounding block; then route the second cable from the grounding block into the home. You’ll need your drill to penetrate an exterior wall and floor.

4. Locate the Satellite using the SkyBeeper - After setting the elevation and pointing the dish using the coordinates obtained for your home, you’ll fine tune the signal from

See Close-up (get image from http://www.skywayusa.com/installit.php)

the Broadband in a Box satellite by listening to the high pitched sound coming from our exclusive SkyBeeper satellite finder.

5. Connect the Modem and Begin Surfing - Plugging in the Broadband in a Box external Satellite modem takes only a few minutes. Since we activate your service when we ship your equipment, you’ll be enjoying high-speed internet access in no time at all.

Broadband in a Box Reasonable Use Policy

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:37:17 +0000

Broadband in a Box maintains a Reasonable Use Policy (”RUP”) to ensure that all subscribers have fair access to the Internet. The RUP allows all subscribers to enjoy the download speed listed for each Broadband in a Box service plan. We’ve assigned a download threshold for each service plan that limits the amount of data than may be downloaded. Special network management software allows us to track the daily utilization of the satellite bandwidth of each subscriber. The RUP prevents the network from being overloaded by a small number of bandwidth-intensive subscribers.

The download threshold Broadband in a Box has established for each service plan is well above typical usage rates based on our analysis of subscriber usage data. Subscribers who exceed that threshold will experience reduced download speeds until the beginning of the next monthly cycle. During this recovery period, the Broadband in a Box service may still be used, but download speeds will be slower. Subscribers will return to normal download speeds at the beginning of the new monthly cycle and can maintain faster speeds as long as they minimize their bandwidth-intensive activities. If these activities continue reduced download speeds will be encountered as the download usage exceeds the established thresholds of the plan.

The Broadband in a Box RUP will still allow subscribers using large amounts of bandwidth to complete the download of their data. However, “power-users” will experience download speed reductions until such time that their usage conforms to average usage patterns as defined by the limits of our RUP.

Bronze RUP Policy Total Download Download Speed

Level 1 500MB 256K

Level 2 1000MB 192K

Level 3 1500MB 128K

Level 4 2000MB 64K

Level 5 2500MB 32K

Silver RUP Policy Total Download Download Speed

Level 1 1250MB 512K

Level 2 2500MB 384K

Level 3 3750MB 256K

Level 4 5000MB 128K

Level 5 6250MB 96K

Level 6 exceeds 6250MB 64K

Gold RUP Policy Total Download Download Speed

Level 1 1500MB 768K

Level 2 3000MB 576K

Level 3 4500MB 384K

Level 4 6000MB 128K

Level 5 7500MB 96K

Level 6 exceeds 7500MB 64K

Platinum RUP Policy Total Download Download Speed

Level 1 2500MB 1.5M

Level 2 5000MB 1.12M

Level 3 7500MB 768K

Level 4 10000MB 384K

Level 5 12000MB 192K

Level 6 14000MB 128K

Level 7 exceeds 14000MB 64K

Failure to Comply With RUP

If a Broadband in a Box subscriber continually violates the RUP, we reserve the right to terminate service without notice. Our preferred course of action is to advise the subscriber of the inappropriate behavior and the corrective action necessary. However, flagrant violations of the RUP could result in immediate termination of the Broadband in a Box service.

If Broadband in a Box denies subscriber access to the service because of continual RUP violations, subscriber shall have no right (1) to access through Broadband in a Box any materials stored on the Internet, (2) to obtain any credit otherwise due to subscriber, and such credit shall be forfeited, (3) to access third party services, merchandise or information on the Internet through Broadband in a Box. Further, Broadband in a Box shall have no responsibility to notify any third-party provider of services, merchandise or information nor any responsibility for any consequences resulting from lack of notification. Subscriber also agrees to the immediate termination of Broadband in a Box services for violation of any of these terms. In the event that an account is temporarily inactivated as a result of any prohibited activities, the account may be subject to reactivation charges and/or deposit requirements to be determined by Broadband in a Box.

Modifications to the RUP

Broadband in a Box reserves the right to modify the RUP at any time as required to maintain quality of service for all subscribers. Notice of any modification will be posted in accordance with the terms set forth in the Subscriber Agreement.

No New Infrastructure

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:56:39 +0000

When you deploy Broadband in a Box hybrid satellite Internet there is no need for increasing your capital budget for new infrastructure or burdening your team with new employees to handle the sales and operational aspects of our service. We have taken care of all of that for you. You simply work with us to inform and market to your customers. We will customize the right combination of services to fit your business need.

In addition to no new infrastructure, there are no contracts between Broadband in a Box and your customer so the customer remains your customer.

We are the high value low cost solution to both you and your customer.

Become a Partner
Contact Us

Would you qualify?

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:33:59 +0000

Do you have dial-up customers who want high-speed Internet service but can’t get it today?

Do you want to satisfy their need and retain them as long-term customers?

Do you plan to focus your infrastructure build out in the areas with the greatest financial impact?

Would you like to partner with a partner who provides turn-key support, fulfillment and the marketing needed to make this a success?

If you answered yes to all four questions we would like to discuss how we may work together to begin a great partnership.

Become a Partner
Contact Us

Slooooow Internet?

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:30:52 +0000

Become a Partner
Contact Us

Featured in Telephony Magazine

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:52:14 +0000

by Ed Gubbins

Broadband in a Box is the name of a company with a novel new approach to rural broadband service that combines satellite and dial-up connectivity.

The company wholesales satellite capacity to broadband providers, along with dishes deployed at the customer premises, and uses terrestrial dial-up connections to overcome one of the historical limitations of satellite broadband: the upstream path.

For the estimated 10 million to 15 million U.S. homes outside the reach of terrestrial broadband, Broadband in a Box offers downstream speeds ranging from 256 kb/s to 1.5 Mb/s (though 512 kb/s is the most popular, the company said) and dial-up speeds (typically 20 kb/s to 50kb/s) for the much-less-used upstream path. That dial-up link also ensures that customers won’t lose service entirely if weather interrupts the satellite link, the company added.

In April, Broadband in a Box said 50 incumbent telcos and a handful of CLECs were in various stages of deploying the system, which as of this writing was still awaiting inclusion in the federal Rural Utilities Service’s loan program.

The first customer, Sytek Communications - a small telco in rural Upsala, Minn. - began its Broadband in a Box deployment late last year as a way to keep its dial-up customers from churning. The company acquired dial-up ISPs throughout the state to get its current base of about 4500 customers, and because many of them are remote and the copper plant is old, Sytek can only offer terrestrial broadband to about 800 of them. Meanwhile, those who can get higher speeds from a competitor are disappearing at the rate of 200 to 300 a month.

“We want to retain the customers we have rather than lose them; we paid for them through the companies we bought,” said Scott Taylor, Sytek’s plant superintendant. “We just bought another company.”

Sytek is offering 256 kb/s download (dial-up upload) for $39 per month, 512 kb/s for $49 or 1.5 Mb/s for $80.

Some assembly is required of the dish that receives the signal, hence the name “Broadband in a Box.” Customers have the option of installing it themselves or hiring someone - which costs about $150, Taylor said, adding that Sytek offers to install the dishes for customers that live within an hour of one of its exchanges. Broadband in a Box says installation should take less than an hour, though Taylor had trouble meeting that goal - maybe partly because the snow common in central Minnesota in winter, when Sytek started deploying the dishes, makes roof mounting a little more precarious. “And sometimes it’s tricky finding the satellite,” Taylor said, adding that he’s happy with the service overall.

“We’ve got 2000 or 3000 customers that this would fit because they’re rural and don’t have [broadband] where they’re at,” he said.

Another benefit of Broadband in a Box’s wholesale approach is that it doesn’t compete with its telco partners. Sytek chose Broadband in a Box after rejecting another satellite provider that wanted ownership of the end user account after five years.

View Plans

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:40:20 +0000

Your customers can now enjoy blazing fast email downloads of photos from family, listen to online music at DSL broadband speed. Unique hybrid technology assures high speed Internet satellite connection even during rain, snow or heavy cloud cover, which can disable the other two way satellite providers.

Advantages

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:38:54 +0000

Broadband in a Box begins loading pages twice as fast as two-way systems because the data only makes one trip up to the satellite and then back down. Two-way systems require two round trips. Known technically as ‘latency’, even radio signals take time to make a 22,500 mile voyage 4 times. This makes Broadband in a Box a better, faster solution.

Because our technology is simpler, we’re much less likely to experience equipment failure. Whereas two-way satellite systems require a complex node (”LNBF”) to send and receive, Broadband in a Box’s LNB only receives. Malfunctions of the two-way system’s LNBF are common and expensive to repair — requiring a technician to make a service call, often at the customer’s expense. Though we rarely encounter problems, you can replace Broadband in a Box’s LNB almost as easily as changing a light bulb for $10.

Bottom line: Our equipment & our monthly service plans start at 40% less than any two-way competitor. Our service is faster and more reliable. Self-installation is available for do-it-yourselfers, saving even more money. Broadband in a Box believes you shouldn’t have to pay more to surf at high-speed just because you’re located in rural America.

Rain Fade Redundancy