If you live in rural America, you may be wondering how to get the fastest possible rural Internet service provider. Some of the popular choices for Internet for rural areas are frankly subpar compared to most traditional Internet service providers. Dial-up Internet and DSL are outdated, slow, and inefficient compared to the more modern choices that rural residents have access to. These choices include satellite Internet providers such as HughesNet or Viasat and mobile Internet providers like UbiFi.

While satellite Internet providers are popular for their accessibility and impressive performance, their potential is hindered when it comes to speed. While satellite Internet is relatively fast, it also suffers from high latency because of the distance Internet signals from a satellite have to travel to reach rural households. The long distance creates a delay that results in latency. If you play online games, this situation can result in unwanted phenomena such as lag and rubberbanding.

In contrast, mobile Internet providers like UbiFi use cell towers to transmit Internet signals. Since cell towers are closer to receivers on the ground, this creates much less latency, which is useful for users who need low-latency Internet for activities such as online gaming and video calls. Furthermore, if you are within the coverage area of mobile Internet companies like UbiFi, you can experience much higher speeds than most satellite Internet companies are capable of providing.

While mobile Internet’s performance is dependent on how close you are to coverage areas, its potential upside is much higher than satellite Internet if you happen to be in the right place to reap its many benefits. Be sure to check if you are in an Internet provider’s coverage area today.