I just previewed a DirecWay internet infomercial. WOW!
If I understand this correctly, I can turn in my DSL 760K, which BTW keeps my phone line clear, and either have a second dish, or 'purchase' the optional DirecTV plugin for the internet dish for both services on one dish, but maintain independence and have two seperate bills for the services. Upon further investigation, I have learned that the possibility of achieving 500k download is only possible during non-peak hours. The upload speed is only rated at 50k. With a fair use limit of 169mb per session. All for a one time insatllation fee of a few pennys short of $600 bones, have the activation fee of $99.99 waived, AND pay $59.99 a month for the first 15 months for lock-in.= A few pennys shy of $1500, Wow! - OR - Waive the $599.99 one time fee, pay the $99.99 activation fee, and pay $99.99 a month for 15 months for the lock in duration. = A few pennys shy of $1600, WOW!

For some un-explained reason, there was an abrupt disconnect when asked why I should drop my 760K DSL that cost me nothing for initial install, and only $25.00 a month for like, forever! That bill mysteriously appears on my phone bill, did not cost me anything upfront except a 12 month agreement, (which has already expired) they sent me the DSL modem, and the hardcopy configuration profile, which is not that hard to set-up, AND did not charge me an activation fee. In addition we experience 150K downloads X 3, and an upload of 120K X 3, and have never been tagged with a fair use limit. Cannot figure out why there was an abrupt telephonic disconnect! WOW!

IMO this could easily fall into one of the greatest rip-offs of the year!

I saw satelite link internet solutions a little less than a decade ago on a computer/technology fair. Back then it was promoted as relatively cheap as it could bounce off a regular trafficing satelite. Presumably due to excess capacity.
The solution offered 4Mb/s which was completely off the scale back then. It wasn't promoted as a product per se, merely as a teaser of things to come.
My presumption is that satelite capacity was soon saturated leaving no option but costly dedicated satelites. This is speculation of course, but I have occationally wondered why nothing came out of it.

I desparetly want satellite internet. Why, because it is either satellite internet or 56k (with a constant connection of 31.2kbs). DSL isn't offered where I live and it would be a b*tch and a half to install cable wires through our house.

Since you have had the "privelege" of testing it out, would you recommend it for someone who has no choice in terms of internet services, or should I not bother getting ripped off and stick with dial-up?

I looked at it, and I have to admit, while having 56K with an actual connection of 20 kbps is lousy, I'd rather have a $10 a month web accelerator than pay THAT much a month for DirecWay...also note that you WOULD lose your internet during a storm, just like satellite TV.

My understanding is that the actuall performance of satellite internet is FAR short of their claims (when they say 'off-peak'... they MEAN it). I know a guy who typically averages aboout 100kbps downstream. Faster than dialup... yep... but not much faster... and a LLLLOT more expensive.

If losing the connection is anything similiar to losing a TV satellite connection, then I have no worries there. We only lose the satellite when there is torrential rains (which only last maybe 10-15 min) or when we get whammed with a thunderstorm (which doesn't make a difference since we shut down all electronic accessories during a t-storm)

Do what I did... go to college and live in the dorms. Good old 100MB connection. I can download music files in about a half a second flat... its amazing.

<font color=fffccc>My bad, I previewed the Infomercial, not the system. We have DirecTV, and they were working it hard on one of their channels. I cannot see paying that kind of money, for that little bit of capability. Point in check. This is a 750K DSL, On a really good day, on a really fast site, I can only pull 384K. Beer math= 50% at best, reality = 150K or roughly 20%. Take that with a 500K start point, at twice the price, and it lands right in the middle of crapola punch!

Do you have cable? Can you get cable internet? Now-a-days, all you need is a cable modem, and wireless router. Invest a little money into some good wireless cards for the PCs, and bingo, you could be running upto 900-1100K for a third of the price, and twice the speed. I understand cable has a fair use/bog down as well, but still how many folks does it take to all be downloading big files on your same line, simultanously, before you feel the effects?

The WOW factor was as in, I can't believe what I just saw, and HOW much money they want for it!</font>