Hughes Satellite (formerly Direcway) Web surfers will drown using Hughes Satellite! It's what you don't know that will get you! Nationwide Internet

My internet "get up and go" just "got up and went" tonight when my satellite internet became virtually useless! I've had Hughes for almost two years, and not one word was said to me about a "Fair Access Policy".

Just back in October, my signal strength was suspect, so a local repairman came out (real nice guy) and had to tighten down the satellite. This fixed that problem. He proceeded to inform me about the FAP, which was the first time I had heard about it!

I really didn't think too much about it, although I was surprised at the time. I thought that with $60 a month, I should have unlimited access (or at least I should not have to worry about not being able to access) the web.

I needed to download a couple of programs and became curious when I found out that it would take up to 8 hours to download Adobe PS 6 trial version. I did not realize right away how slow it was, and when I did, I stopped the download, about 50 minutes into it. I was charged for what did download, even though I did not get the software. That is what threw it over the limit.

I called and talked to someone who was not very fluant with the English language. My first instinct was to upgrade to the $69 plan to get more "download threshold"- a certain amount that you are allowed to download before your system is about 90% useless. From the time I exceeded that limit (by the way this was on Thanksgiving and we were not home all day to use the computer), I have to wait 24 hours for that threshold to be lifted. That's like having your electricity cut back to just a light bulb because you used too many watts ( but your elecric bill is not reduced).

I was downloading software on Wednesday night.Hughes does not want you to listen to internet radio, watch You-Tube, use your webcam to talk to your grandkids, or any other technology that takes a lot of download time.

I'm mad as heck because I was not told about the FAP, and now I am paying for a service, well, that is not a service, but a rip-off. If I can find something different, I will. Hughes better change their ways, or they will be out of business, for sure!

Ed
Magnolia, Ohio
U.S.A.