Can weather affect your Satellite internet?

Activ8me satellite broadband is available in difficult-to-reach and remote areas.

Does your satellite internet slow down in bad weather? Or does it go out? If so, is this expected?

Since Australia is a large country made up mostly of vast farmlands, semi-arid deserts and mountain ranges, many rural areas do not have much option when it comes to internet service.   Thanks to Activ8me, rural locations, where dial-up Internet was once the only game in town, can now benefit from high speed satellite internet.
But then again, relying solely on sat probably makes you fret when the rain starts to pour and you need to go online. Read on to know what to expect of your satellite broadband connection in very overcast or stormy days.
Wind
Due to the solid and parabolic shape of the satellite dish, high-velocity winds can dis-align or bend your satellite dish to the point of service disruption. You may also experience temporary outages when the tower that supports the satellite dish sways, causing the signal to bend.
The good news is that the mounting hardware can be reinforced, especially if you are living in high wind areas.
Rain
Light rains should not have an effect on your satellite Internet connection. As long as the satellite dish is aligned to a peak signal, expect a strong and steady connection if you have a reliable system. You can contact tech support if you’re having problems with your satellite service.

Your satellite internet can be affected by heavy rains, reducing its signal strength

Storm
Thunderstorms and heavy rains can block a satellite signal completely – unfortunately. Although some satellite internet users say they’ll turn off their computers anyway for safety so it doesn’t really matter. Just like other sat, service can be interrupted if a signal passes through a distant storm. And sometimes, that goes the same even if it isn’t raining in your area.
Nevertheless, the engineering department often does weather studies to predict outage times.

Snow
The worst environmental enemy of a satellite system is winter. Piling up of snow and ice can throw the satellite dish out of alignment or cause it to bend. To minimise this problem, keep snow from piling on to the dish. Sweep the ice away if possible and do not scrape it off. Never under any circumstances should you use boiling water or any water on the dish to melt the snow or ice. (This is a bit less relevant for most of Australia).
Need to Know
SAT Internet connections use microwave radio frequencies that travel in straight lines and cannot pass through solid objects. The air between the satellite and the dish is affected by weather. Moisture also reduces the signal. It’s safe to say severe weather conditions can affect weaker systems more rigorously. That’s because the stronger the received signal, the more immune it is to heavy rains or snow.
Photo credit: Camille Seaman