In an announcement that is sure to be welcome news for Americans living in rural parts of the country, or for anyone fed up with their cable or DSL provider, DISH Network has announced a partnership with ViaSat enabling them to deliver satellite-based broadband internet service featuring 12Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds bundled with DISH TV programming.
"This is one more example of DISH meeting the needs of consumers," said DISH CEO Joe Clayton. "The market potential for this new Internet service is substantial given the nearly eight million to 10 million mostly rural American households that are unserved and millions more left with slower broadband alternatives."
This CES announcement from DISH came on the heels of their announcement surrounding their new "Hopper" and "Joey" whole-house HD-DVR solution. One of the more appealing elements to the Hopper DVR is its inclusion of the Blockbuster @Home service for on-demand viewing of movies plus loads of new family and kid-friendly offerings.
More interesting is that due to the Hopper's massive 2TB storage capacity, the Blockbuster @Home titles will be downloaded automatically via satellite on a regular basis, meaning that, unlike Netflix, real-time viewing will not require buffering or a broadband connection; the content will already be residing on disk. This feature, coupled with DISH's forthcoming broadband offering, is apt to paint an appealing picture for those in rural areas where web-based entertainment is either hard to come by or prohibitively expensive.
Beginning in February, these TV/broadband internet bundles will start selling with prices starting at $79.98/month and installation charges starting at $99. Additionally, 24/7 telephone support will be available at no additional cost.
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