Questions / Answers
Is Italia Wi-Fi Satellite right for you?

What is Italia Wi-Fi Satellite?

Italia Wi-Fi Satellite is Europe's first affordable satellite broadband product designed for home users. Using the latest hardware and antenna technology we offer super fast broadband, anywhere in Europe, irrespective of whether there's any fixed line infrastructure nearby. Depending on the airtime account you chose, hardware and connection are free or from only around £449.99 ,  (€579.95), and airtime starts at £44.99 a month, (€59.95), inclusive of UK VAT.

Italia Wi-Fi Satellite is a bidirectional high speed satellite service for broadband Internet access. Bidirectional means that receive and transmit functions are performed via the satellite; therefore there is no need for a telephone line.

What is satellite broadband?

Broadband means, very simply, a high-speed connection to the Internet that's 'always on'. It's called broadband because it has a much larger capacity to receive (and send) data. Providing broadband via satellite means that we bounce your data from your remote location up to and down from the satellite to a point on the ground where there's very fast and reliable internet connectivity.

Italia Wi-Fi satellite broadband is around 184 times faster than a 56k dial-up modem enabling you to view web content and download files more quickly.

Why is Italia Wi-Fi more expensive than wired broadband?

ADSL and similar wired broadband services available from BT and their resellers make use of the existing cheap landline telephone infrastructure that has been in place for many years to deliver ADSL to your premises. All BT has to do to deliver broadband to you is insert a fast internet connection into the telephone exchange, and share it over the phone lines. The downside of this is that the infrastructure is old, in poor condition and incomplete in many areas, which is why many people still can't access ADSL even in urban or city locations.

With satellite broadband, the investment in the satellite and related infrastructure runs into tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of pounds and this has to be factored into the price of the Italia Wi-Fi services.

You also need to invest in the hardware  to be able to take advantage of the satellite technology. The hardware you will be buying is very robust and reliable, and will typically run without maintenance for 5 years +. At £350 that works out at around £60 a year, or £6.50 a month, (incl. VAT), which most people consider better than not being able to have broadband at all. With airtime starting at around £54.99 a month, we are getting very close to the price charged by many ADSL Internet Service Providers.

We would challenge any UK household of more than 2 people, or a family, that they'd save substantially more than £60 every year by investing in Italia Wi-Fi, by then being able to shop online for their insurances, utilities, holidays – even their weekly shopping and clothes.

There are even websites out there now dedicated to showing you ways to save money by buying online. With a bit of work, we'd hope you'd be able to offset the cost of the airtime as well, and even come out slightly better off financially than if you didn't have broadband at all.

Once you've covered the cost you've got all the social, educational and entertainment advantages of broadband.

Only you can decide if having broadband is worth this reasonable investment.

How fast is Italia Wi-Fi Satellite?

The home user version of Italia Wi-Fi Satellite offers download speeds of up to 13.2 Mbps and upload speeds at up to 5.1 Mbps. When we say "up-to" we mean this is peak speed wherever you live, Italia Wi-Fi Satellite doesn't discriminate by location. Italia Wi-Fi Satellite PRO offers up to 50 Mb download, 10 Mb upload for business users; with the same cheap hardware.

The exact 'speed' or performance of your Italia Wi-Fi Satellite connection at any given time will depend on a number of factors - many of them outside our control. These include the overall busyness of our network at that precise moment, the overall busyness of the public internet, and the protocol or application you're using at the time.

Are there any minimum requirements for computers?

Not normally. Any computer (MAC, Windows or Linux OS) with an Ethernet network card can be connected to the satellite modem. No additional hardware or computer software is required. If you connect a suitable wireless router to the satellite modem, you can then use PCs or smart phones in your home or office, wirelessly. We can supply a suitable wireless router with your Italia Wi-Fi Satellite system. Just tick that option in the order process.

Are email and other services included in the Italia Wi-Fi Satellite service?

We've found that most customers when they come to us already have an email account and email address that they want to keep; but if you don't have an email address, we can help you get one for free.

Italia Wi-Fi Satellite fully supports webmail like Hotmail, Gmail, MSN and Yahoo. Italia Wi-Fi Satellite used to provide a free email sending server for customers moving from dial-up services (an SMTP service). However, the increased security now employed by most email servers to combat SPAM means that technically we can't do this anymore. For email not to be treated as SPAM, it has to originate from the server that matches the domain of your email.

If you are using Italia Wi-Fi Satellite for the first time, you need to look to the originator of your email address or hosting company for the settings you need to send email, using software like MS Outlook or Windows Mail. E.g. if you have an email address like xxxxxx@btinternet.com, you need to talk to BT. If you have a Yahoo email xxxxxx@yahoo.com, you need to contact Yahoo.

Does the satellite service get affected by weather?

The standard dish and mount is designed to withstand 100mph winds. Clouds and showers have little impact on satellite communications. However, torrential rain or snow may cause slight degraded service in extreme conditions, as signals are reflected a little by rain. Our systems automatically increase power levels to compensate for these conditions.

Can I use Italia W-Fi Satellite with a wired or wireless network?

Yes, you can use a wired or wireless router to connect your Italia Wi-Fi Satellite terminal to several PCs or smart phones in your home. In the near future, you will be able to choose the enhanced Italia Wi-Fi Satellite set-top-box with integrated router and Wi-Fi interface.

We can supply a wired/wireless router with your Italia Wi-Fi Satellite at a low additional cost. Just select that option in the order process..

Does Italia Wi-Fi Satellite offer triple-play services?

Italia Wi-Fi Satellite gives access to satellite television by adding a small piece of equipment to the satellite dish. This will need to be done by a competent installer. This allows both free-to-air and paying channels to be received.

Italia Wi-Fi Satellite can also support telephone through VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology, such as Skype.

Can I play online games with Italia Wi-Fi Satellite?

In principle yes. Games that don't involve fast real-time interaction should work fine on Italia Wi-Fi Satellite, but it is not recommended to play so called "first-person shooter" games. Any kind of combat or game that involves the need for an immediate reaction will not work so well,  due to the extra time involved in the trip to the satellite and back that your data has to make.

Can I watch television with Italia Wi-Fi Satellite?

Yes, Italia Wi-Fi Satellite can receive satellite television through a television feed added on to the satellite dish. The advantage of receiving satellite television is that it does not use your internet connection.

Italia Wi-Fi Satellite services from Italia Wi-Fi Satellite support UK 'watch again' portals like BBC iplayer, Channel 4 OD and ITV Player - the only home satellite broadband service in the UK to do so. Other Italia Wi-Fi Satellite distributors may claim that you get access to UK content with their services. However, with Italia Wi-Fi Satellite you get a proper UK IP address meaning that access to your favourite UK websites is easy and straightforward.

How do I know if Italia Wi-Fi Satellite is for me?

If your home or small business is only able to get dial-up internet access, ISDN or slow fixed line broadband (up to 1 Mbps) Italia Wi-Fi Satellite will provide you with an excellent alternative.
If you are still using dial-up, we don't need to tell you how frustratingly slow and unpredictable it can be. The latest websites are full of images and video-rich content which take ages to download on dial-up.

Italia Wi-Fi Satellite Home is designed for a maximum of 6 home users, (PCs/smart phones) only. It's designed primarily as a domestic email and browsing tool. (You can connect more than 6 users, PCs or smart phones to each Italia Wi-Fi Satellite connection, but the user experience may suffer). Business users wanting to connect more than 6 users should consider Italia Wi-Fi Satellite pro If you require a mission critical or business grade connection, with support for advanced business applications like IP Sec VPN, Citrix or continual/regular connection to your company's network at your place of work.

How do I choose the Italia Wi-Fi Satellite service right for me?

Italia Wi-Fi Satellite Home offers 6 different monthly service options that vary by overall performance (speed), and also by the volume of data the service handles at peak hi-speed.

Try the volume calculator -  this will give you a good idea of which of our Italia Wi-Fi Satellite services is best suited to you.

When you've dialled in your user profile to the volume calculator, just select the most appropriate Italia Wi-Fi Satellite package for your profile. But don't worry, you can always upgrade later.

If you're a business, take a look at Italia Wi-Fi Satellite pro which offers a more advanced proposition aimed at business users.

I have slow or flaky fixed line broadband - can Italia Wi-Fi Satellite help?

Having a slow or unreliable fixed line broadband connection is a common reason for small businesses to buy Italia Wi-Fi Satellite. You can run a satellite based Italia Wi-Fi Satellite connection alongside your fixed line (ADSL) connection.

We can supply you with a load balancing router which will automatically switch your internet traffic to the satellite when your wired broadband goes down, or load balance between the two connections to give you extra broadband capacity for peak times.

What support and warranty comes with the Italia Wi-Fi Satellite product?

The equipment is covered by a 1 year full manufacturers "return to base" warranty.

If you have a technical or service issue with your Italia Wi-Fi Satellite system, contact us.

Why should I buy Italia Wi-Fi Satellite through italia-wifi.com?

Italia-wifi.com has developed its Italia Wi-Fi Satellite product working with its partners Eutelsat and Skylogic. We've added a few extras to our Italia Wi-Fi Satellite solution which mean our Italia Wi-Fi Satellite proposition stands out from other companies who may say they can offer you a similar solution.

A key fact is that Italia Wi-Fi Satellite services from Italia Wi-Fi Satellite support UK 'watch again' portals like BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 OD and ITV Player. We are the only Italia Wi-Fi Satellite distributor and home satellite broadband service in the UK to do so. If you live abroad, and want to watch UK TV online, this means our Italia Wi-Fi Satellite service is the one for you.

In summary from Italia Wi-Fi Satellite you can expect industry leading customer support with secure online ordering, billing, and invoicing

·         A proper UK IP address meaning easy access to UK websites and content portals.

·         A fair and unambiguous contract

·         The best prices in Europe with the ability to order and pay in £ Sterling

·         Clear, consumer orientated pricing with prices shown, including VAT

·        Professional installation with Certified Installers and Technical Support that's the best in the industry, or the option to use  local Dealers and Installers to do the work.

How does Italia Wi-Fi Satellite compare to dial-up?

If you are still using dial-up, we don't need to tell you how frustratingly slow and unpredictable it can be. The latest websites are full of images and video rich content which takes an age to download.

If you opt for Italia Wi-Fi Satellite you'll be able to save hours of your time, and you will be able to access the latest feature rich websites in record time.

Can I use Italia Wi-Fi Satellite as a back-up internet connection?

If you have a small business with a maximum of 6 PC's or Macs, you can use Italia Wi-Fi Satellite as a back-up or failover broadband internet connection for email, browsing and VoIP. If your business has more than 6 PC's, or you want a back-up or failover connection that supports business grade services.

We can supply you with a load balancing router which will automatically switch your internet traffic to the satellite when your wired broadband goes down, or load balance between the two connections to give you extra broadband capacity for peak times.

Are there any limits to how much data I can download?

Not with italia-wifi.com but there maybe with other satellite companies. We've designed our Italia Wi-Fi Satellite offering to be fair. If you're a very light user you pay much less per month for your airtime subscription than a heavy user. You can use our 'volume calculator' to dial in your likely usage profile and then you can see which monthly subscription suits you best.

If you need to send and receive more data than our Italia Wi-Fi Satellite Gold service talk to our Customer Service team and they'll tell you how.

If you need to send and receive more data than the Italia Wi-Fi Satellite account you've chosen allows, you maybe slowed down slightly by the Fair Access Policy (FAP). At this point you can either upgrade to the next service level, or if you're a Ku band Italia Wi-Fi Satellite customer, buy a volume booster token from us just for that month or wait until your usage level falls below the FAP. Volume Booster tokens will be available for Ka band Italia Wi-Fi Satellite customers from the end of September 2011.

At no point will you be cut off, and shortly you'll be able to monitor your monthly data usage on line via our website.

How does the Fair Access Policy Work (FAP)?

In order for everyone on the Italia Wi-Fi Satellite platform to get a good reliable service, we operate a Fair Access Policy (FAP).

We monitor the usage of all the users on the platform to ensure a good quality user experience for all. What this means is that during peak times, extremely heavy users of the service may find their connection throttled slightly to ensure that everyone gets equitable access.

This table shows how your usage will be assessed and the data levels which if exceeded may lead to some throttling. Between the hours of 12 midnight and 6.00 CET these volumes are doubled before any throttling will occur.

We offer you a fair and unambiguous 12 month contract and clear, consumer orientated pricing with prices shown including VAT.