[Ham-Mac] Satellite broadband for Mac?

[Chris Smolinski]

>Thanks for the tip, Clark. I had to call them to get the price:
>$1,600 to install, $119/month.
>Speed: 400-600 downhill, 30-60 uphill.
>
>This "DW4020" system is a bit too expensive for me, but it's the 
>first Hughes satellite to work with Macintosh.
>
>they told me the DirecPC version (that is half this price) feeds 
>into a USB port of a PC (only) and loses half its speed if routed to 
>another computer (Mac), and that it's shut off or throttled back for 
>non-commercial users during business hours.  I'm not sure I believe 
>it.

I'm not sure that it would really lose half the speed if routed, but 
I could certainly see them throttling bandwidth. I know an engineer 
at Hughes in the Direct TV/PC division, I can ask him for the scoop.

>My solution may ultimately be to find 20 neighbors to split the 
>$1000/mo cost of getting a DSL POP installation in the nearest 
>(within 3 miles) town.
>
>I wonder if there are any less expensive DW4020 providers in Canada. 
>I'll be just across the border in VT.

Moving up to near Derby Line?