Does Weather Affect Satellite Internet? – A Comprehensive Guide

Cloudy with a chance of disruption, is your satellite internet capable of holding its fight against the weather? Let’s find out.

Satellite internet has been winning the hearts of internet users living in rural areas due to its vast availability.

Although it is not a new technology, the growing interest of major stakeholders in the category and their efforts to improve the technology has helped it gain the attention of internet users in the usually underserved areas.

But does satellite internet remain dependable during rainy days and stormy nights?

This is the question we will be answering in our blog.

Satellite Internet: How Does it Work?

Let us put it in simple words – you have a subscription to a satellite internet provider and it has sent satellites up into space to orbit around the earth.

Now, your provider relies on a signal routed through one of those satellites and a receiver dish placed on your home to pick up the signal. Your modem is connected to that dish and it translates the incoming signal into a workable internet connection.

Still with us?

This is where the weather condition comes into play. The signals from satellites are transmitted through the air. This is why they are susceptible to different types of weather conditions and air disturbance.

To keep using the satellite internet, you need a clear view of the sky and electricity to keep the receiver dish powered. The better the weather conditions, the lower your internet latency is going to be.

Does Weather Affect Satellite Internet?

However, Steven Griggs, Vice President of Sales and Engineering at the Rajant Corporation says, “Weather conditions, such as heavy rain, snow, or dense cloud cover, can interfere with the signal transmission between a satellite dish and the satellite in space,” as reported by the US News.

Here is the interesting part, even if the weather is fine in your immediate area but not in the area of your satellite broadband provider’s internet hub, then it can slow down the speeds significantly.

You might also experience high internet latency, making it difficult for you to carry out basic online tasks

But let’s not just talk all gloomy here. Satellite broadband does have many upsides – one of which is its availability across all 50 states, significantly better speeds than a dial-up connection, and hassle-free installation.

And, even though it may get affected by weather easily, it is still more resilient and quicker to recover during natural disasters than a lot of other connection types.

How Weather can Disrupt Satellite Internet Signals?

Satellite internet uses microwave radio frequencies that travel in straight lines. These frequencies cannot pass through solid objects.

Weather, on the other hand, has an effect on the air between the dish and the satellite. Not just this but the moisture in the air further reduces the signals.

In addition to this, there are also different weather conditions that affect your satellite internet.

1. Rain

Light rain doesn’t necessarily have an effect on satellite broadband. But, if the dish is not aligned correctly with the satellite, then the signal may become weak and will not be able to withstand the weather.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms can block a satellite signal completely – making it even more difficult for you to scroll through Instagram, let alone catch the new episode of your favorite show on a streaming site.

Don’t worry, you can ensure a reliable connection by simply aligning the satellite dish to a peak signal. If you live in an area with frequent rain, then you can rely on engineering firms and weather studies to predict annual outage times.

This way, you’ll be able to plan accordingly.

2. Snowfall

As much as we all love how snowfall makes everything look magical and straight out of a storybook, we cannot help but get frustrated when it attenuates the satellite internet services – showing us a message that reads “No Internet Connection.”

Truth be told, it does boil our blood at times.

The thing with snowfall is, that it piles up on a dish and completely blocks the signals.

What can you do, in this regard?

The good thing is, that some dish manufacturers offer heated dishes that help melt the snow. They operate on a thermostat control. By simply turning on electric heating elements, you can promptly take care of the situation before it goes out of hand.

3. Strong Winds

Strong winds can move or bend a dish, causing a severe service disruption.

But that’s not just it!

It can also twist the tower that supports the satellite internet dish and may even sway it. This not only slows down the speed but can cause a temporary outage in your area.

Imagine if strong winds can do such damage, what would tornadoes do?

Yes, ripping the dish completely off of its mount. Scary, right?

But hey, don’t stress too much because some dish manufacturers add reinforced mounting hardware that is well-suited for high-wind areas.

How to Protect Your Internet Connection from Poor Weather?

By following the tips mentioned below, you can protect your internet connection from poor weather and its impact:

• Keep your modem and WiFi router in a dry area
• Protect the equipment from heat and moisture
• Position the satellite dish correctly
• Make sure no solid object obstructs the view of a satellite dish
• Use a surge protector to protect your modem and router
• Limit the connected devices to increase internet speed
• Close out unused applications
• Move closer to the router
• Keep tabs on the weather forecast and plan accordingly

What Are the Other Alternative Internet Sources?

If your satellite internet is down due to weather conditions, then keep a backup with you.

What could it be? The smartphone you have on you!

You can use mobile data and at the same time, you can also use the mobile hotspot to provide internet connectivity to other devices at home.

This way, you will still be connected to the world, even if the ground and dish outside are covered in snow.

Final Thoughts: What Do We Think?

In the discussion of how weather affects satellite internet, we have now reached the final point.

Satellite internet is prone to weather conditions and it does affect the internet latency, however, there are still some effective strategies you can use to deal with it.

Controlling the weather is out of our hands – but, what we can do is take proactive measures such as keeping the equipment secure and in a dry place, removing snow debris from the dish carefully, positioning the dish correctly, reducing the internet activity and connected devices, and keeping tabs on weather predictions.

This way, you will be able to improve your speed and get the best out of your satellite internet connection.