Although it has been available for some time, it is being supplanted by newer technologies. Some of the newer technologies are satellites, digital subscriber lines, and cable modems. These technologies provide connection speeds that are equal to or better than the traditional speeds of dedicated and expensive T-1 lines. Satellite hookups operate in an asymmetric fashion, using the satellite dish to download data at speeds ranging from 400K to 10M. Data uploads are still done using a regular analog modem. The wide discrepancy in speed for satellites reflects the different types of technology used.
Some satellite systems receive information from space-based satellites in stationary orbit.
Others receive signals from ground-based transmitters. For flat areas such as Phoenix, this works very well. For hilly areas such as Pittsburgh, the use is more limited. Satellite constellations like Iridium or Teledisic may change that. Recently, Nortel and Norweb collaborated to offer 1M Net connections over standard power lines.