Quartzsite & the Internet Connectivity Dilema
Internet connectivity: One of Quartzsite's perennial problems. In recent years, various "internet providers" have come (and many gone) in Quartzsite. For those who have telephone service, two providers provide local number dial-up service, the local phone company, and another ISP, Red River Internet. Cable? DSL? Think again, such ideas are still a future dream.
Then came the "wireless" providers. Various "hot spots" offering short-distance wifi connectivity pop up during the season: Park in their lot, sit in their cafe, pay a few bucks and you can log on to relatively fast access. On a year-around basis, Love's truck stop has wifi. A great bargain this year has been the Quartzsite Public Library: Bring you battery powered laptop in, get an access code from staff, and you can sit in the meeting room and fire it up.
But what if you don't want to have to pack up the equipment and trundle around town? A few years ago rvlogon.com came to town, installing antennas around the town promising good access. We worked with rvlogon for a couple of years--and it usually meant getting in the truck and driving into town from our location, three miles to the south. For a few months we rigged a wifi antenna in a big coffee can, ran it up a mast, and once in a while, wow! we could get rvlogon from out in the desert.
Verizon "broadband" subscribers can get signals across the area, but they are far from broadband speed out here in the boonies--somewhat faster than dial-up, the Verizon service provides internet connectivity with a heady dose of frustration--particularly in high season when everyone and his dog needs to share the limited radio spectrum.
The promise of dependable high speed connectivity has been more the subject of advertising, dreams, and occasional streaks of yellow journalism in one of the local "newspapers" than any sort of reality. If you need high speed access wherever you set up housekeeping in Quartzsite, it appears for now you'll need to set up your satellite internet dish and pay the big bucks.
5 Comments:
Have used rvlogon.com for 3years.They have been extending there coverage so that more people have access.Wonderful company to do business with. DUSTY a satisfied customer
By Anonymous, at February 24, 2007 12:29 PM
This was a very interesting article. We started fulltiming at the end of 2006. We spent the better part of the year looking for a way to connect to the INTERNET yet not be tied down with wires! We had verizon and found that way to expensive for the converge. We now have Hughesnet but find taking down and putting up a dish time consuming. The cost hurts but we need an easy way to pay bills and stay somewhat connected! If anyone has suggestion I would like to read more about it.
By Blackknight RV Travel Family, at February 27, 2007 4:01 PM
I just was told by TDS...the local phone company...that DSL is now available in Quartzsite. I used a wireless connection through my cellphone when I stayed on BLM land. When I moved into town I got dial-up. I have dreamed of DSL for the three winter seasons that I have lived here. Finally we are joining the information highway in a faster lane.
By Nan, at March 10, 2007 6:03 PM
The coffee-can collector is "more pain than gain!" What you need is a concentrator, and that means using a parabolic shape. Get an old truck light, remove the lense and mount your antenna in the same place where the filament was. Try to point the device as close as possible toward the incoming signal. Obviously, the larger the opening of the parabolic shape, the more wifi energy it will collect.
By BigDW, at April 13, 2007 9:09 AM
TDS now offers DSL service with a phone hookup. It is very fast & I have had very few problems since I signed on in March 2007. I live permanately in a RV Park.
RVlogon was a JOKE for me. I can see their antennae from my window but could not get online. Canceled after 3 months.
By Anonymous, at September 5, 2007 11:22 PM
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