With that began the search for a better rural internet provider.

Whats Slowing Us Down?

When advertising internet speeds, providers will list bandwidth as a gauge for overall speed.

The results of an internet speed test, with latency highlighted,

Steve Heap/Shutterstock.com

This number is what gamers refer to as “ping.”

The higher the latency, the morelag youll experience.

Satellite Saves the Day…

A screenshot showing Google Fiber is unavailable in the area

This is why the throw in of internet connection you have is so important.

The best connections currently available are fiber optic, 5G, and cable internet.

Unfortunately, these are rarely viable options in rural areas.

A cell tower over rural West Virginia.

Steve Heap/Shutterstock.com

That leaves rural gamers with DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite internet.

Of the three, DSL is both the best and worst option available in remote areas.

Much like dial-up, DSL uses existing home phone lines to connect users to the internet over copper wire.

Starlink service plans with equipment costs.

DSL is also slowly being phased out due to decreased demand.

T-Mobile and Verizon are starting to use their large web link of cell towers to help fix this issue.

That leaves us with our final, and most likely available option: satellite.

Hughesnet service plans and current discounts.

Which Provider Is Right for You?

Two of the most well-known and longest-standing providers in the U.S. are Hughesnet and Viasat.

This greatly reduces latency, thus addressing the main issue of satellite internet.

Customers in regions with more coverage will also receive a $200 equipment discount.

However, customers only get 200GB of priority data each month with unlimited standard data after that.

Additionally, the equipment costs $650 or can be rented for an extra $19 per month.

Additionally, Viasat’s unlimited plan doesn’t support any key in of online gaming.

First and foremost, youll want to verify your router is at leastup to dateandstrategically placed.

Hiding it in the entertainment stand may be aesthetically pleasing, but it can greatly hinder your Wi-Fi signal.

Secondly, anything that needs a high-speed connection should be connected via an Ethernet cable.

Be sure to check that the nodes provided with the system you choosehave Ethernet ports.

Mesh systems can also help ifany of these common thingsare blocking your Wi-Fi signal.