Satellite Internet Vs. Cable Internet: Which Is Right For You?

These days, billions of people use the internet on a daily basis. Broadband Search estimates that global traffic rises to more than 3 million GB of data every single day. Sites like YouTube see uploads of 500 hours of content every single minute (via Oberlo), and Google receives 145 million searches per hour (via Truelist). The internet has become a staple feature of life in the modern era: People purchase goods and services online, and they find answers to their most pressing questions with the touch of a few keys, or a few taps on a smartphone. The internet has made for an interconnected society and a speed of life that is frankly unprecedented in human history. Even as people continue to make even greater use of the internet, there remains a contingent of homes across the country and the world that do not have stable internet access in their property.

LendingTree reports that roughly 12% of American households do not have internet service, and these people must find daily connectivity in a different way in order to access the services and exploration power that the rest of us take for granted. For some, the issue isn't lack of desire, but rather one of practicality and logistics. In certain parts of the United States, homeowners simply don't have the option to tack on cable internet service because local providers in their area don't offer it. Satellite internet can be a good alternative, but this isn't the only reason why someone might want to bring satellite internet into their home and lifestyle.

Cable internet is the gold standard of data and internet connectivity for the modern household. A cable solution is one that you're likely familiar with: Cable internet comes in on an underground or above-ground cable, and this is hooked into a modem and router within your home — often housed in the same router/modem combination box. Your cable provider likely set up the system in the first place, and you may be intimately familiar with the box that lies in the corner of your kitchen or living room. The Wi-Fi modem processes the signal coming in from the cable line and translates this into an area of coverage throughout your home for wireless connectivity. You can also plug an ethernet cable into this box and run it directly into your system for a wired connection.

Across the United States, cable providers began transitioning to fiber optic cables about 20 years ago, even as the concept was being deployed by NORAD much earlier, according to Fiber Plus Inc. This change made internet speeds much faster and far more reliable, revolutionizing the way that people browsed the internet. The modern cable internet infrastructure is the same as the delivery mechanism for TV services (via Techslang), and oftentimes, internet users around the world purchase their service as a bundled package that brings both cable television and internet together as one deal.

While cable internet is certainly going to cost less than satellite coverage, there is no denying that satellite internet provides near-universal accessibility — a feature that cable internet cannot match. As a result, some homeowners will not have the option to select between one service and the other, requiring consumers to opt into satellite internet coverage in remote areas just to get online.

Satellite internet is also beneficial for those who travel with an RV or boat on regular occasions. Obviously, a hardwired cable internet setup won't work for these mobile vehicles that also act as a traveling home. Similarly, for those who spend time on the water, satellite internet is even more important because once you move far enough away from the coastline, you'll likely lose phone reception as well. In a pinch, an RV user can double-bill their phone as a mobile hotspot and retain connectivity that way while away from home, but this option isn't possible for experienced boaters who might travel away from shore for days — or even weeks — at a time (via The GPS Store).

The availability of satellite internet makes it an incredible asset. People who find themselves in these unique circumstances — or for homeowners who live relatively off the grid or in select, remote areas of the country and don't have access to traditional cable internet/TV services — benefit substantially from satellite internet.

Data caps are another woe that satellite internet users may face. A cable internet provider generally won't impose any kind of data restrictions in this regard (particularly on fiber connections), and so you are likely able to ignore concerns over how much data you are consuming when you get your internet via the cable provider.

CNET notes that data caps from satellite providers are routinely in the hundreds of gigabytes range, while a cap on a cable service (if any) typically runs into the terabytes. This can be a problem if you rely on your internet service for heavy streaming and download practices. Buckeye Broadband reports that a standard definition Netflix plan typically utilizes 1 GB of data per hour of viewing, while a high definition signal commands roughly 3 GB per hour. PC Mag finds that the average Netflix user streams the service's content for about 3.2 hours per day, consuming almost 10 GB of data in this time.

Data cap on your service might not affect you very much, but it can be incredibly painful for the average internet user if they are unable to gain access for the last few days of every month because they've exhausted their data allowance.