• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, August 16, 2012

Helping rural regions of the country join the broadband revolution, Dish Network is reportedly preparing to introduce a nationwide broadband service using a satellite from sister company EchoStar.

“The EchoStar 17 satellite, launched into orbit July 5, can support download speeds of 15 megabits per second, although introductory nationwide packages will probably offer rates of 5 megabits so the system can take on more capacity,” Bloomberg reports, citing sources.

“Pricing estimates for the new service were not revealed, though it's expected to be more expensive than cable or DSL,” writes CNet. “The service will likely be aimed at customers in rural areas where wired connections are prohibitively expensive and cellular alternatives are unavailable.”

“People living in the sticks, rejoice!” Gizmodo quips. “Finally, Netflix at the ranch.”

“The move will help Dish Network compete more directly with cable and telecom operators that offer broadband, including in packages bundled with television service,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Other than hooking up data connections for customers in rural areas, it would let Dish compete directly with data / TV bundles offered by wired pay-TV providers,” Engadget writes. “Of course, this is all dependent on a favorable ruling by the FCC on its technology.”

Adds Bloomberg: “The move is the result of technological advances for the U.S. satellite industry, which can now use higher-frequency bands to offer faster broadband to more people.”