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StarBand Communications is launching a two-way satellite Internet service and promising high-speed access to millions of people in remote areas of the United States who don't have access to broadband technologies, as well as anyone else who has a clear view of the southern sky.

Users will get up to 500 kilobits per second on the downstream and 153 kbps on the upstream for $60 to $70 per month plus the price of the 24-by-36-inch satellite dish, other hardware, and installation, StarBand officials say. StarBand plans initially to target customers in remote areas, especially an estimated 55 million who currently can't get high-speed Internet access from their cable television providers or through digital subscriber line service from their telephone companies, says Zur Feldman, cochair and chief executive officer of StarBand Communications.

"For all the media attention focused on cable modem and DSL technology over the past four years, you would think that high-speed Internet is everywhere," Feldman says. "Broadband may be great for those who can get it, but for those who cannot get it, the situation is very frustrating."

There are a number of advantages to accessing the Internet over satellite, Feldman says. People won't have to worry about how far away they are from the telephone company's central office, which is a factor in obtaining DSL service, or wonder whether the local cable company has invested in the cable infrastructure to make it capable of delivering the Internet, Feldman says. And they won't need a second phone line to take advantage of the always-on feature of the StarBand service.

StarBand was formed in September after receiving financing from Microsoft, Gilat Satellite Networks, ING Furman Selz Investments, and EchoStar Communications. Microsoft, which invested $50 million in StarBand, is "the engine behind the start of the company" and is "very much in tune with what we are doing," Feldman says. (See "Microsoft Boosts MSN's Bandwidth.")

People who want to sign up can buy a StarBand-ready Compaq Computer desktop PC from a RadioShack store, or they can buy the StarBand Model 180 satellite modem available through Dish Network retailers. The modem connects to an existing personal computer running the Windows 98 or later operating system through a Universal Serial Bus, says David Trachtenberg, president and chief marketing officer of StarBand.

The preconfigured Compaq desktop computer available at Microsoft Internet Centers at 7000 RadioShack stores throughout the United States contains the PC Card that enables satellite Internet access, but the consumer must also buy an antenna. The package includes Internet access through MSN, MSN e-mail, instant messaging, and other Internet services for $59.95 per month plus the costs of the antenna and other equipment, and about $200 for installation.

Consumers who opt to use an existing computer must buy the StarBand Model 180 satellite modem for $399. The monthly charge is $69.99, and there's a $200 installation charge. Dish Network, the satellite television service owned by EchoStar, will combine the Internet service with its programming package for $99 per month. Dish Network also will offer an upgrade that will allow for the simultaneous reception of 500 channels and the Internet service from StarBand.

The StarBand service currently is available only in the continental United States. Service will be available in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico in 2001.

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