Best internet for gaming in rural areas

Having a reliable and fast internet connection is probably the last thing you think about, especially for a bandwidth-intensive activity like gaming. However, it is possible to get one, as long as you know where to look.

When looking at competitive gaming, you know the importance of timing – it can mean the difference between winning a game and total defeat. A factor influencing the timing is internet lagging, which saps all the energy from your in-game speeds regardless of your real-life speed. Others include high ping rates and data issues, which easily make your gaming experience less than stellar.

Limited options and poor service in rural areas stop major fiber providers from making substantial profits and increases their operation costs. However, this is gradually changing due to the increasing importance of the internet in daily life, making it advantageous to know what options to look at when considering connection types for a rural area.

The best internet option for rural areas provides you with affordability and good internet speeds that satisfy your household needs. It should also have excellent ping rates to reduce latency.

What internet connection methods should I avoid?

4G LTE

4G LTE should not be an option for gaming. Since your connection will automatically cut off when you reach a limit of 20 GB, you cannot rely on this unless you only game two days per month – anything more than that and it becomes too expensiveto maintain because of your internet usage for other activities like calls and watching videos. When you add the high number of people accessing the 4G LTE network simultaneously, and it becomes unviable.

Satellite internet

As we mentioned before, timing is essential in gaming – but satellite internet does not allow that. Signals will need to travel long distances to access a satellite in a rural area, resulting in ping rates that reduce your gaming speeds to poor levels. Additionally, satellite internet is among the pricey internet connection types, so you will save money when you skip it.

It is also worth noting that satellite connections are vulnerable to weather conditions, so they are a bad idea if you live in a stormy or windy area.

Hotspot connections

These will not give you the speeds you want when participating in online games, and they are pricey to maintain.

What connection options should I consider?

Fixed wireless internet

These are an increasing fixture throughout the country, especially in rural areas. They aim to provide internet connections to homes through radio waves.Unlike satellite connections that broadcast the service from the sky, the fixed wireless internet signals will move between a receiver (installed in your home) and the ground tower.

Since many fixed wireless providers are small companies that are privately-owned, they offer many plans across the country that range between $40 and $70 monthly. They are also good because they do not include data caps, have average speeds of 5 to 30 Mbps, and their average ping is 20 to 60ms (very good). Overall, these should not present any limitations to your gaming experience.

However, you may not access this option if your home is not in the tower’s line of sight, or the distance between the tower and your home is too far.

Mobile broadband

As major networks increase their coverage, more rural areas are using mobile broadband connections. All they need to work is existing cell towers, where the signals can piggyback off each other, and the provider will give you an activated wireless modem. Getting a router that connects to the modem will allow you to connect additional devices like a gaming console or laptop to the network.

If you can access the service, your ping will be below 60ms, while speeds range from 3 to 30 Mbps. The main disadvantages are the data caps and prices. However, you will experience few gaming limitations as long as the connection is strong.

DSL

If your location can access high-speed DSL connections, it is the best choice to use. It uses existing phone lines, experiences low ping rates, has no data caps, and offers many benefits to your gaming experiences.

However, its drawback is unreliability if you live very far from a city center since the speeds will be slow. It is difficult to know the expected speeds, so it is better to try it for a few months to set your expectations and see if it is viable.

Conclusion

You will not get a one-size-fits-all solution when looking for online gaming connections in rural areas. Each option has advantages and disadvantages, so ensure you take your time to find what works for you before settling on one provider.

FAQs

Why do rural areas have poor internet connections?

Internet infrastructure in many rural areas is poorly maintained and sparsely connected, leading to slow and unreliable connections.

How do most gamers in rural areas get internet connections?

Many opt to use a DSL or Fixed Wireless Internet option because of no data caps and high internet speeds. Each has its pros and cons, so testing out multiple choices will help you know what works best.