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["WF Smith" <mogrits AT gmail.com>]

>
> + WildBlue's Fair Access Policy (FAP) is based on a rolling 30 day
> limit on data usage per customer called a usage threshold. If you
> exceed the FAP threshold, your bandwidth (speed) will be reduced for
> the remainder of the 30 day period when your system quota refreshes
> and you are again within your limits. During this period, your
> bandwidth will be reduced to 28Kbps until your system refreshes.
> ++ HughesNet's Fair Access Policy (FAP) is based on a 24 hour period.
> If you exceed the Fair Access Policy threshold, your bandwidth (speed)
> will be reduced for a period of 24 hours. During this period, your
> bandwidth will be reduced to 56Kbps until your system refreshes.
>
>
> Thanks, Rob - Va

I have Hughesnet. I've heard nothing but tales of woe about Wildblue.

When my teenagers are in the house we've hit the FAP quite a few times. For
this reason alone I suggest you do not go with a monthly FAP. Kids have ways
of devouring bandwidth you never dreamed of. Also, windows and other program
updates can hit you hard and unexpectedly at times as well. Hughesnet has an
"all you can eat" period between 3-6am iirc and most of the time you can
adjust settings to only allow updates and downloads during that time.

You may have to be very specific with your niece as to what is and isn't
allowed. For instance, my son blistered the FAP within the very first week
attempting to download some new program. After that I told all of them "no
huge downloads, no filesharing apps, no itunes, no myspace with music files
streaming" and a few other things thinking I'd covered everything. Next
thing you know we are hitting the FAP frequently and I have to ask the kids
very specific questions until I finally discover my live-in niece has been
streaming a radio station thru her laptop. Well duh- streaming a radio
station is like d/loading music 24/7. This while she has a damned radio
sitting next to her computer.

Also, the speed while Hughesnet has you in "timeout" is much, much slower
than 56k. It is far slower than dialup. Most complaints I've heard about
Hughesnet have to do with the installers and installations, but if you can
find time to supervise them properly you should be okay. There was a problem
with some component outside on the dish that caused some confusion right
after my installation, too. The fault was intermittent and combined with my
kids "FAPing" it took some time to solve, but once I convinced them it was a
real problem they had someone here post-haste to repair it and it has been
great ever since.

The service is intermittent during severe thunderstorms, but really only
during times you'd probably prefer to turn off your computer and hunker down
anyway. It immediately comes back after the shower. We don't get much snow
here but that could be an issue.

Warren