The advantage is that you can receive broadband from virtually anywhere with an unobstructed path between the satellite and your dish. Users also found that early versions of Hughes' software crashed under Windows 95, and that you must establish two Internet connections, one for receiving via the satellite, the other for sending it through a standard analog phone connection. That was last summer. By autumn, Hughes said it had revamped its software and made the whole process easier. Clever marketing, but this is still a very costly service.
Some small offices are also good candidates, depending on the price structure they are offered.
Gaske also sees possibilities in Japan. Last April, Hughes announced an alliance with Space Communications Corporation, a unit of Mitsubishi Group, for what it called the first digital satellite service in Japan. The service is in the test stages. And those costs can be prohibitive. In the process, it will stop installing cable modems until there is a demonstrated demand.