InfoWest is expanding fiber internet connectivity across Washington County, Sevier County, and Iron County. However, for many years, the bulk of our internet service has been wireless, which is often mistaken for a satellite connection.
What’s the difference between wireless internet and satellite internet? It’s simple. InfoWest wireless internet uses an antenna mounted on your roof that points to a tower, often located on a hill, just a short distance away from your home that’s typically connected to fiber. Satellite internet beams signals up into space, which then broadcasts the internet back down to earth. Satellites are often very slow and unreliable, and generally have worse service.
But what about that satellite internet company run by a billionaire?! What makes InfoWest better than it, or is satellite internet the next best thing in internet technology?
First, let’s get the cat out of the bag: InfoWest Internet is better than satellite internet. However, there may be some users, such as those who live in very rural areas or those who are constantly on the go in an RV or campervan, who may find the flexibility of satellite internet to be the best option.
Second, if you’re going to compare InfoWest Fiber with satellite internet, there is no beating InfoWest Fiber. With Fiber, your data travels on a beam of light [fiber-optic cables transmit data as pulses of light], while with satellite Internet, it travels slower and has to leave Earth and come back to you.
So with that out of the way, let’s compare apples to apples.
InfoWest doesn’t require you to pay for equipment, and we don’t have contracts for residential customers.
InfoWest tech support is locally based. Most of our techs are right here in Utah, in St. George, with additional techs in Richfield and Cedar City. Our techs are available 24/7 to assist you if your internet is causing you any issues.
But with 99.99% uptime [“uptime” refers to how often your internet is working without interruption], odds are you’ll never have to call us. At the time of writing this blog on June 23th, 2025, the average wait time to reach a live local support person is 36 seconds.
InfoWest builds our network to handle the capacity of the area it serves, so latency [latency = the delay before data begins transferring] and throughput [throughput = the amount of data transferred over a period] are more predictable, especially with fiber. This means no congestion or packets waiting their turn when you send your data to and from your computer or smart device.
Satellite internet bandwidth throughput can vary widely depending on usage in your area (it works better if you’re in the middle of nowhere rather than in a city). Before signing up with any internet service provider, we recommend you review and compare each provider’s “broadband nutrition labels” [standardized FCC information sheets showing speed, latency, and pricing]. This allows you to accurately compare speed, latency, and even pricing.
Satellite internet is an excellent technology for very remote locations or for those needing a good connection on the go with more capability than a cellphone plan. However, it is pricey for a variable throughput, shared-access service if you plan to use it at home when better alternatives like InfoWest exist.
When you support InfoWest, you’re supporting your local economy. InfoWest is proud to donate to local high school sports teams, arts programs, and a variety of other community events and groups. Such as the InfoWest backpack event!
Technical Terms Defined
Fiber: Uses fiber optic cables to transmit data as light pulses for very high-speed, low-latency internet.
Wireless Internet: Uses an antenna on your roof pointing to a nearby tower for connectivity.
Satellite Internet: Sends signals to and from satellites in orbit, resulting in higher latency.
Uptime: The percentage of time the internet service is operational without interruption.
Latency: The delay before data starts to transfer after you send a request.
Throughput: The volume of data transferred over the internet connection in a specific period.
Broadband Nutrition Labels: Standardized labels from ISPs showing speed, latency, data caps, and pricing for transparency.
