When it comes to satellite internet, HughesNet is one of the dominating providers for this sub-category. Their use of technology, as well as transparency, has put them in the lead when it comes to satellite internet.

It would be easy to liken them to the blockbuster franchise Transformers, but really, HughesNet goes above and beyond while Transformers merely entertains.

And here’s why…

What’s Happening with HughesNet?

HughesNet is a satellite internet provider based out of Germantown, MD. Their primary customer base is rural residents as well as remote customers. Since a great many ISPs (internet service providers) focus on specific towns and cities, customers outside of that coverage area are left without access to the internet. HughesNet fills this gap.

Usually, the main stipulation to installation is that the potential customer has a clear view of the southern sky.

HughesNet is also working to improve satellite internet’s reliability. And they’re not the only ones.

Recently, Elon Musk and Google, among other competitors, expressed interest in launching innovative technology to improve upon satellite connectivity. One such solution involved hot air balloons that would float up to a high altitude.

HughesNet is instead sticking with what it knows- satellites.

Echostar, HughesNet’s parent company, is working with Lockheed Martin to design another wave of satellites that will incorporate innovative technology to decrease latency and improve reliability.

Last year they launched their newest line of satellites, EchoStar XIX.

With this, HughesNet rolled out their Gen5 services. Gen5 (aptly named because it’s the fifth generation of satellites they’ve commissioned) will have built-in Wi-Fi. They’ve also increased most of their packages to include more data downloads and cut back on the data restrictions. Up until now, HughesNet, as well as other satellite internet providers, would throttle the download speed of a customer who had gone over their allotted download speed.

HughesNet is aiming to avoid this with Gen5.

As they work to improve the technology they incorporate into their satellite systems, HughesNet is evolving…in a sense.

It’s not as though the machines they’re using are getting upgraded and turned into more advanced devices. This isn’t Transformers. There are a few parallels though.

Transformers; The Next Sequel

Back in 2007, the very first Transformers film was a hit.

This was thanks to the big budget behind it, as well as the massive marketing campaign to get the word out.

But big budgets can be wasted if the right crew isn’t involved. Luckily, the smart decision was made to hire Michael Bay. With his penchant for explosions and high action (everything that would make the Transformers look cool), the movie did well in at the box office and dominated the summer blockbusters of 2007.

Transformers, based on toys from Japan, developed a mythos that grew and grew as more and more toys were created. As a result, there were cartoons and even an animated movie in 1986. While this film was just a continuation of the cartoon series, it could stand alone. It may have lacked the gleam and style of a Michael Bay film, but it’s pure 80s nostalgia for anyone who’s seen it.

Double the nostalgia points if you watched it before watching the recent Transformers incarnations.

Instead of relying on hand-drawn animation, the newer films use copious amounts of computer-generated imagery. When each one debuted, they symbolized the height of CGI filmmaking and technology.

Like all big films, however, Transformers didn’t age well.

To date, there have been five transformers movies, and the last one did not do well. Although it was considered a commercial success, this was in large part thanks to the younger demographic that enjoyed lots of explosions, robots, fighting, and a shallow story.

Steve Jablonsky, however, delivered a dynamic soundtrack for each film. While the subject matter may have been “sub-par,” his music is something to be heard though. That’s one aspect of the movie that hasn’t changed.

Each successive film, however, seemed to rewrite the history of the Transformers. Although the toys came without a backstory, Hasbro set about creating one. Readers of the original comic books and those who watched the original cartoons would have a better idea of how Transformers was “supposed” to go. This mythos, however, was largely ignored for the movies. The original narrative of the cartoons was cut out, and the Transformers franchise was turned into a money-making machine for the summer movie season.

Instead, the movies were formulaic. Each one could be boiled down to a simple equation like:

The equation was used again and again for each subsequent movie. There was a difference though as the equation for each new movie was multiplied by a factor of five to outdo the previous one. When that happens, each subsequent movie will suffer a loss of excitement and allure by a factor of ten. And while the author of this piece is not very good at math (he barely passed), he knows that that math will not hold up for long.

The last Transformers film was announced to be the last one directed by Bay. Although there is a standalone movie based on Bumblebee coming out soon, we have yet to see if this will revive the franchise.

Parallels

While HughesNet is a real company and the Transformers films are a work of fiction, there are a few parallels between the two;

By The Numbers

HughesNet, thanks to their capabilities as a satellite internet company, has availability in all fifty states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The only stipulation being that the customer must be able to see the southern sky clearly to receive a signal from the satellite passing overhead. Thanks to this capability, of the 42,000 zip codes in the United States, HughesNet has a presence in 33,131 of them. When the author utilizes some basic math skills, that turns out to be 79%.

HughesNet, being a satellite internet provider, may not be considered “fast” when compared with other providers. For example, Netflix keeps track of the download speeds of all the providers that support the streaming service. They track the rate at which providers can download content during peak hours. These peak hours are generally between 5 pm and 10 pm every day.

From September 2017 to September 2018, HughesNet averaged .67 Mbps.

That number may seem low.

On the upside, HughesNet advertises their speed “as is.” You won’t see “speeds up to” in their marketing. For this reason, the FCC ranked them first in advertised download speeds. This transparency has translated to higher than average customer service reviews.

Unlike Transformers, HughesNet is upfront about their technology and how it’s going to work in a typical situation.

HughesNet and the Future

There is one industry where satellites are the primary source of internet- travel.

With more and more people commuting for work and/or traveling, a satellite is the only option for providing internet connectivity. This will only help HughesNet.

As they work to improve satellite internet, either through their current equipment or by launching new material, HughesNet will be at the forefront of the industry for the foreseeable future.

If you’re interested in HughesNet, take a look at their internet deals and packages to see if they’re right for you and your home. They are considered one of the best ISPs when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Do you have HughesNet in your home? Do you like the service? What could be improved?

Are you a Transformers fan? What did you think of the newest movies? What about the Bumblebee film coming out later this year?

Post your answers in our comments section and keep reading On The Download!

Roughly 90% of what I watch, I stream through Netflix. If I’m not streaming through my TV, then I’m streaming it through the Netflix app.

I consume my content this way because of convenience. It's easy, it's right there, and there are no commercials! Yes, I'm admitting I’m lazy. It’s something that I’m working on. Netflix is also enabling me.

Despite Netflix enabling of my apathy, I enjoy the content offered. It also helps that I checked out the best internet deals and packages.

Not everything I find there is something I want to watch though.

I would prefer, every now and then, to partake in content that’s centered around my hometown of San Antonio, TX. Not southern California dolled up to look like San Antonio. Instead, I'd prefer a more realistic facsimile.

Not only that, the program should present the city of San Antonio as it truly is. The representation should be based on current trends and not what people in Hollywood assume it is- some uber-conservative town steeped in old thinking (San Antonio is quite progressive, and I should know, I live here).

Can I find this on Netflix?

No, not at all.

Should it be a near-accurate representation of San Antonio in both image and sociological makeup?

I would say, “Yes.”

And can I require Netflix to create that show just for me?

Given my laziness—yes, absolutely I should!

Is it the right way to create content?

…hmmm.

Content Quotas

Although I might have some influence—something like 0.000000000000000001% influence—I highly doubt Netflix will scramble to make my dream become a reality.

Why?

Because they’re not even doing that for the European Union.

Recently, the EU took to changing up the rules they impose on outside entertainment services. Part of that rewrite includes demanding that Netflix allot 30% of their catalog to content centered on European works.

Netflix, understandably, balked at the maneuver.

I can see where the EU is coming from though.

They want to see more and more content that reflects the socioeconomic, ethnic, and regional background of their viewers. This will lead to less alienation, and hopefully, more confidence in oneself. Or maybe they’re just looking to provide opportunities to the content creators themselves? I’m inferring those last two points.

Anyway, this move could backfire.

You’ve heard the saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”?

The road to hell can start with these good intentions.

By holding Netflix responsible for creating content specifically geared towards a subset of their audience, Netflix gets hamstrung. They need to figure out what types of programs those viewers like to watch, bring in producers for it, and create the appropriate content. This ties up money and creative powers.

Sure, it helps those specific content creators.

But are they going to create something worth watching for the wider audience? It's possible.

Ethics aside, forcing the many to watch something that appeals to the few will end up alienating the larger group in the end.

And if there’s a quota to meet, then quality will get sacrificed so that Netflix can say, “Hey, we met the quota, so what are you complaining about?”

A Different Tact

Is it more advantageous to create content aimed at specific sub-groups?

Sure. Why not?

As I mentioned earlier, I demand a program centered on San Antonio that doesn’t involve someone butchering a Texas accent, or making all Texans look ignorant.

But forcing Netflix to create that just for me will end up alienating viewers from Dallas, Houston, and the hipsters up the road in Austin. Soon they’ll get their own shows too. When that happens, I’ll refuse to watch them based on principle. This will drive overall viewership down and put Netflix in a bind. They could end up losing money on this content.

This solution is bad.

To solve this problem I’m required to (sigh) get up and do something about it.

If I desire to watch content about San Antonio that represents it honestly, then I need to go out there and make it myself. And if it’s no good, then Netflix can pass on the project. This will, in turn, force me to work harder to create content that’s of quality and will appeal to the mass audience.

And it will involve…sigh…work.

For those who want to have content that better reflects who they are, they’ll have to go out and create it themselves. Or get on board with a project.

Others Can Help

Given how much Netflix is pouring into their content creation, they probably can accommodate new content from creators from specific areas. If the content is approved, Netflix can add it into their catalog and appeal to that specific sub-category whilst still putting out content for the larger audiences. Netflix will handle the distribution while the creators handle the production end.

Another option would be for local and regional governments to offer incentives to content creators. For example; the San Antonio Film Commission offers a 7.5% incentive on film and television project with at least $100,000 of approved San Antonio spending (check the details at filmsanantonio.com). This is to help content creators secure locations and equipment in San Antonio for their projects.

With this kind of assistance, burgeoning projects can find a place to shoot their film in and around San Antonio. They can avoid straining their budget and keep an authentic look. Once filming is wrapped, they can move forward with presenting it to distribution outlets, like Netflix.

It serves as a better motivation for content creators, as opposed to making Netflix go and find content creators. While it sounds a little elitist, this keeps sub-par content from getting distribution.

In the end, it will work out better for Netflix, the greater viewing audience, and even me!

Frontier Communications, based out of Norwalk, Connecticut, is going the extra mile for residential and business customers.

While they do have round-the-clock customer service, there is something more that customers can expect.

Let’s set the scene here;

A circular council chamber. Ringing the outside of the chambers are stone chairs. The walls are ornately designed and the windows are stained glass. Outside is a beautiful sunny day. This casts the room in a warm yellow hue with hints of reds and greens from the windows.

Each chair is occupied by what you would expect; a character from a fantasy novel. One’s a wizard, another’s a knight, and there’s elves, dwarves, giants, and other creatures filling out the rest of the seats.

Entering the room is a simple person. No flashy clothes or arrogant airs about this person.

They’re just your average customer. They could be a residential customer or a business customer, makes no difference.

The person is lost. There’s so much information out there that it’s confusing.

And not just confusing, but beyond comprehension.

The council chairs empty as the characters encircle the bewildered guest.

“We’ll help you.” The wizard says. “We’ll show you the way. We are…“

(Pause for dramatic effect)

“…your fellowship!”

(Cue music and fade out)

Not So Dramatic

Was that too much?

Theatrics aside, Frontier Communications has launched a new marketing campaign- “Don’t Go It Alone.”

For those who think in much more dramatic terms, it is like having your own personal fellowship. Although it won’t be nine creatures from a fantasy realm. Well, seven actually; Aragorn and Boromir are human. But that’s beside the point.

What’s important to remember here is Frontier Communications focus on helping the customer.

And there are two ways they’re doing this.

Residential

With the “Don’t Go It Alone” Campaign, Frontier Communications is acting as the guide for technology.

It’s the “in” thing these days to be tech-savvy. For most, however, that’s quite a challenge.

Getting a computer and setting it up has been a simplified process. But getting the most out of your computer, your internet, and even your smartphone is something else. Knowing how the computer works with all of its software programs and parts is difficult. In fact, those with computer engineering degrees can find it difficult.

One approach is “trial and error.” Over a long enough timeline of trying, a user will be able to figure out how to make a computer program do a specific task. Like with Excel and figure out averages. One can keep punching in commands to the function bar and they’ll get there eventually.

But who has time for all of that?

By sitting in front of a computer, or with your smartphone, and tapping at all the little icons and punching in commands, you’ll be busy for a while. Though you may not get to the “mastery” level, you’ll at least get to “proficient.” In the meantime, however, you’ll have to forgo spending time with friends, family, and your job.

Again, who has time for that?

And who wants to risk their relationship with their friends, or losing their job?

Frontier Communications is banking on this by training their employees to be all-inclusive “guides.”

Since the campaign was launched on October 9^th, 2018, we have yet to see how effective it is.

Business

Frontier Communications is also helping out their business and enterprise customers by launching Frontier Connect WAN.

A WAN (Wide Area Network) is a means to connect parts of a business that may not be in the same place. Given the rise of remote workers, as well as the popularity of outsourcing work, WAN’s are growing in appeal.

By the way, it’s WAN, not wand. We got away from the fantasy allegory a few paragraphs back.

Anyway, WAN’s are similar to LAN’s (local area networks).

Remember, back in the day, when it was just an Xbox?

Everyone was playing Halo and the Xbox came equipped to hook up to a LAN. This allowed for more than just four players to play against each other. Now they could expand to as many as sixteen.

Sixteen!

Back in 1999, this was a big deal.

The main restriction here was the LAN was confined to a specific range, hence the name Local Area.

WAN’s do the same thing but over much greater distances.

This allows for a company or organization to create a WAN and have their own little network. Only employees of the company have access to the WAN.

Frontier Connect WAN is providing this.

By using software to define the WAN, business customers can access it via the cloud. Cybersecurity software keeps the WAN contained and free from intruders, while other software allows for sharing and collaboration on files and programs.

Business customers lease the software from Frontier Communications. From there they can create their own “mini-internet.”

Unfortunately, this is for business only. Not a company-wide Halo 1 tournament.

Sigh.

By The Numbers

Frontier Communications is available in 29 states, according to their website. They currently have a presence in 8,076 zip codes.

When it comes to downloading speed, Frontier Communications is doing well. This is proven by the Netflix ISP Speed Index. Netflix monitors the download speeds of all the providers who offer the streaming service. During peak hours, generally between 5 pm and 10 pm at night, Netflix is watching to see how fast providers are able to download their content.

From September 2017 to September 2018, Frontier Communications averaged 3.35 Mbps. For peak hours, that’s not bad!

Therefore, if you’re looking for a reliable internet, Frontier Communications is a good option. They have both cable and fiber options.

The ISP entered into the fiber market a few years back. They’ve installed some fiber lines themselves, but they’ve also bought up existing lines from both Verizon and AT&T. This has worked out well for them as they’re able to stay competitive during peak hours.

One more thing; Frontier doesn’t have data caps on its plans!

Join the Fellowship

As Frontier Communications engages with its customers to help them navigate technology, they’ll continue to expand as well.

In this technology-saturated world, it’ll be interesting to see how that type of help will play out. It’s one thing to claim to be helpful but being helpful is a different thing. If Frontier Communications is genuine in this endeavor, they could end up rebranding themselves entirely.

It’s still too early to tell.

But for those who want to go with Frontier Communications as their ISP, or to switch from another ISP, then check out the best Frontier Communications Deals and Packages.

Who knows, you could be joining a Fellowship and setting off on an epic adventure. Or you may just find an answer to a nagging technology question.

It will most likely be the latter. But the former would still be a lot of fun though.

By the Numbers

Where it Counts

RCN is Advancing

USS Defiant

Get a Better Ship

Small Powerhouse

RCN and The Defiant

Charter Communications, better known as Spectrum, is doing well, all things considered.

True, the State of New York is waffling on whether to allow the merger between Charter Communications and Time Warner to stand. And they’re also working to oust the cable provider from the state itself.

This comes after the state’s Public Service Commission declared that Charter was moving too slowly in fulfilling its promises.

As a result, they slapped the ISP (internet service provider) with a hefty fine and declared they had thirty days to move out of the state. While this may seem extreme, Charter is still in New York as the wheels of politics are slow at best. On August 21^st, 2018, it was declared they had a two-week extension. No new news has surfaced after that.

As the dispute drags out, frustrating Spectrum customers, the company itself, and still raising questions over the Time Warner-Charter Communications merger, we can look to an odd source for guidance in this situation.

The game of Risk.

World Domination in Two Dimensions

Risk is a classic board game that allows players to attempt to take over the world. The first edition of the game was your basic map of the world. Most of the countries and nations were simplified into general territories. Each continent was turned into its own entity and there were set paths for entrance.

The goal was simple- control as much of the board as possible. Take out your “friends,” and make sure your armies were everywhere.

Risk has taken on many different versions over the years.

Variations

The ones that I’m most fond of are the Lord of the Rings, Halo, and Legacy editions. These take the basic concept of Risk and apply it to a new map with a few exclusive perks.

For example; Risk: Legacy had some of the oddest armies involved, such as the Enclave of the Bear. This army of genetically altered humans looked the Doth Raki from Game of Thrones. But they came with a unique bonus. More than that, bonuses could be added during each game.

Every time you played Risk: Legacy, the board changed. It would remain that way for the next game and change some more.

One principle remained in all versions of the game- dice rolling.

For each attack, the attacking player got up to three dice. This is where it got tricky for me- if I had more than three armies, I got three die. Two armies= two dice, and one army= one die. In the heat of trying to take a country, I usually forgot this and just kept throwing dice.

The defender, if that person had two armies, got two dice. And, of course, one die= one army.

Both sides would roll.

Your highest dice roll would be matched up the highest dice roll of your opponent. The second-highest to their second highest.

If you had higher dice rolls than theirs, then you won that attack. They’d lose two armies and you’d roll again until you either decimated them, or you were decimated.

It was a little confusing for me at first, and to be honest, it still is. I need constant reminders when I play.

Anyway, you may have a ton of armies, but a few bad dice rolls may derail any visions of swift and decisive victory.

I can recall the ONE time that I won at Risk.

My ONE Victory

It was 2010 and I was still looking for a steady job. My best friend still had the Lord of the Rings Risk that he had “borrowed” from another friend back in college.

About four of us came to his apartment on a Saturday and instead of just watching TV all day, we decided to play Risk.

Up to that point, I had lost every time I played. Most of the time it was a solid and humiliating defeat. But being the good sport that I am, I decided I would play yet again. After all, I was among friends and they so enjoyed the feeling of success when they soundly pummeled me in a game that had no real-life application.

But I read more books than them, so I’m the real winner here.

Anyway, the game got started as it usually did and I worked my normal strategy- expand as fast as possible. In hindsight, this is a severely flawed strategy. No matter how much space you occupy on the board, you leave yourself open to attack from multiple fronts. Then again, if you fortify and make them come to you, you don’t expand and score more territories. You just spend the game sitting in a corner and waiting for someone to come to play with you.

In this specific instance, I had the dice rolls on my side. I won a few early victories. These victories lead to control of key regions. And with these regions, I got the extra armies I always so desperately needed.

With the extra armies, I was able to ride out a few losses and keep expanding.

Soon the board was controlled by a vastly more intelligent and benevolent ruler.

Me.

This day has been marked in history so that none of my friends forget it. I also make sure to remind my wife regularly as well.

Now, if only I could take what I’d learned in this game and apply it to real-life somehow?

Risk and Spectrum

Okay, so let’s apply this analogy to Spectrum.

They’re working to expand their footprint everywhere in the nation. They’re not some army bent on controlling the world. No, instead they’re working hard to connect as many people as possible.

To do this they need to move into new territories and establish roots.

So, in a sense, they do act like the little figurines in a game of Risk.

As they work to move into a new space, they’re essentially rolling die to see how smoothly the process goes. The defender die could be anything from bureaucratic red tape to rival companies trying to force them out.

In the case of New York State, they didn’t have the dice rolls on their side.

Now they’re having to retreat.

Risk and the Bigger Picture

I admit this is a simplistic way of looking at the current state of ISPs, especially Spectrum.

It does make it easier for me to figure out what’s going on though.

Anyway, Spectrum is working to resolve the issue with New York State, as well as ensure that the merger with Time Warner stands. With those two obstacles holding them up, Spectrum is going to have trouble implementing other initiatives that could help more and more customers.

That’s kind of ironic when you think about it.

It’s also frustrating when you realize that Spectrum is one of the better ISPs out there.

By the Numbers

Spectrum is one of the faster providers out there.

This is proven thanks to the Netflix ISP speed index.

Netflix regularly monitors the various ISPs they partner with. During peak viewing hours, that is, the hours between 5 pm and 10 pm, Netflix is monitoring how fast ISPs can stream their content.

From August 2017 to August 2018, Spectrum averaged 3.95 Mbps.

That’s a good number.

Even better is that, despite having issues in New York, Spectrum is available in 48 states, and 9,179 zip codes across the nation. This puts them in the second spot for largest ISP in the nation.

Spectrum, like many other ISPs, offers internet through cable and fiber. They also have voice and cable TV services as well.

So make sure to check out Spectrum internet and cable deals. Not only are they a fast and reliable ISP, but they can also bundle a lot of services for you. This will, in turn, save you money and time.

Winning the Game of Risk

While Spectrum works to resolve the issue with New York, that still leaves about 47 states that they can still help. Which is good news for most of the country.

If you’re in New York though, sorry.

They might get it cleared up soon enough and you can see if they provide internet to your home.

In the meantime, pull out your Risk board game and get playing.

If you don’t have one, then you need to get to your nearest retailer and get one. I’m not saying this because I get a cut of the profits. Instead, I’m advising you to play a game that’s a lot of fun and just once, just once, you might get the chance to rule the world.