Outback Internet is locally owned and operated wireless Internet service provider.  We value our clients and our community.  We strive to bring you the best rural Internet coupled with premium service and support.  We want to share with you our network technology and network management practices.  Our commercial terms of service are available here.

 

Our Network Technology

 

Outback Internet uses a combination of technologies to provide very high-speed Internet to rural areas.  We connect our network to the Internet through enterprise class fiber optic connections, the fastest method of connecting to the Internet.  Communications across our network and the “last mile” connections to our customers are via very high-speed wireless technology.  Unlike satellite based Internet services, our wireless technology is ground based and does not transmit to a satellite in space.  The advantage is that our wireless signal only travels a small number of miles rather than the tens of thousands of miles to make the round trip to a satellite.  Unlike satellite based Internet services, our wireless technology is rarely affected by weather.  Wireless connectivity depends on having a clear line of sight from one of our transmitters to your residence or business.  If for example, a tree grows into the path of the wireless signal, your network performance will be degraded.  We will advise you of potential line of sight issues prior to installation as it will be your responsibility to maintain a clear line of sight while you are using our service.  

 

Typical latency to the Internet is 20-60ms which are generally suitable for real-time applications.  Latency can vary with load and activity on the network and are subject to change dynamically.

 

Wireless technology can be subject to interference from other wireless or electronics devices.  This includes indoor WiFi units in your home or nearby.   Interference levels can also change from time to time.  While we attempt to work around interference, it is not necessarily under our control and may impact your network performance.

 

Our stated speeds are “up to” speeds.  You should generally expect to receive  90% to 100% of our stated speeds although during occasional occurrences of network congestion you may receive less.  Our speed is the bandwidth delivered to the point of entry into your home or business.  Actual network performance to individual computers or devices will depend on how many computers/devices are active at any one time and your internal network infrastructure of which we do not control.  For example, if you subscribe to a plan with 20 mbps download speed and you are simultaneously using a computer, tablet, and smart TV, you will not simultaneously receive 20 mbps on each device as the 20 mbps is being shared or split amongst the three devices.  Another example is where you may be using a single computer connected to an indoor WiFi router or access point, but the computer is separated from the indoor wifi unit by a distance or walls.  In this case, the indoor WiFi signal may not be sufficient to support the high speed of the Internet connection that we provide to you.  

 

Our Network Management Practices

 

We engage in reasonable network management practices.  Unlike other wireless Internet providers, we limit the number of subscribers on each of our transmitters.  This is to minimize occurrences of congestion and to offer the you a better Internet experience.  However, we can not necessarily eliminate congestion 100% of the time.  Congestion may occur during peak times of network usage or during periods of network maintenance.  If network congestion occurs, you may notice brief pauses or slow downs in delivering real-time content.  If congestion occurs, we prioritize real-time traffic over non-real time traffic in order to improve your experience of applications such as VOIP, video conferencing, and gaming.   The term “reasonable network management” is defined by the FCC as a practice that is “appropriate and tailored to achieving legitimate network management purpose, taking into account the particular network architecture and technology of the broadband Internet access service.”

 

We utilize redundant links, backup power systems, and a 24/7 monitored network to enhance our reliability.  We use high levels of encryption on our wireless links and require that you secure your indoor wifi network as well.  However, as many have learned in the last few years, once your data travels onto the public Internet, it is not necessarily secure.  This is true regardless of the type of Internet Service (Outback Internet's or another provider).

 

If you have any questions about the performance of your Internet connection, please contact us; we’re here to help!