Fast download, slow upload key to cheaper satellite broadband access?

SkyWay USA promises broadband access anywhere, and thanks to its hybrid system of satellite and dial-up connection, it offers a cheaper way online than pure satellite-based Internet providers, reports Bill Wolfe of The Courier-Journal in Louisville. (George Dick, right, SkyWay USA's CEO, and Mick Whitton, vice president of sales in a C-J photo by Bill Luster.)

The Louisville-based company was founded in Jackson, Ky., in the Appalachian coalfield, and now has 300 subscribers to its service that allows users to download Web content using a satellite connection, Wolfe reports. Uploads, however, are handled by a dial-up connection, which means sending a large file such as a video or photo will still take a while. Still, this system offers a cheaper alternative to other satellite-based connections, especially in rural areas where there are few choices for high-speed Internet access. And rural areas are the only places SkyWay USA seeks customers.

Wolfe reports, "SkyWay believes it can compete with HughesNet and WildBlue because its service and equipment cost less, Dick said. WildBlue plans start at $50 per month. HughesNet starts at $60. SkyWay offers plans starting at $30 monthly. In addition, equipment for SkyWay's competitors can cost from $300 to $500, Dick said. After rebates, SkyWay's dish and modem are available for about $100." (Read more)