The best satellite internet available

I live way out in the mountains, so my only choice for high-speed internet is satellite. I thought that all of the available ones were the same, until I found SkyCasters (
http://www.skycasters.com/). These guys offer plans that begin where the normal, consumer-level satellite providers stop. Their price is definitely higher, but the speed, availability, and level of customer service provided all combine to make it worthwhile, in my opinion.

For example, the consumer-level companies don't guarantee ANYTHING. If it's raining hard outside and you don't have a signal, their response will be "Oh, just wait until it quits raining". Skycasters, on the other hand, have a COMMITTED information rate, which they back up with "You can expect the ability to receive 110% of the stated CIR speeds or more at least 90% of the time, if not more!". And what I've found is if you have a problem, they will crank up the output of your receiver/transmitter to make sure your get the service you're paying for.

Also, the other providers have a "Fair Access Policy", which states how much bandwidth you can use per hour or per day. Go over that, and they punish you by throttling you back to 4Kbps until you're back under the FAP limit. Skycasters, however, has a maximum throughput allowance that's included in the rate. If you go over it, they just charge you more. No stupid throttling - you just pay more for what you use.

Now I realize that the minimum plan, at $149/month, AFTER purchasing the equipment, really can't make financial sense to a lot of people. But if your job is computers, and your only choice is satellite, I think that these guys have the best option in town. AND their customer service is top notch. You call in and you're talking to one of the engineers. I couldn't recommend them higher.