Satellite Install - Do you know these guys?

You should contact Caribbetech & Dunhill Systems. Bunch of people on the board have used them for installs.

Caribbetech & Dunhill Systems - Dominican Republic (DR1)

This fellow is who I use and he is very good. I know he offers Sat. Internet (DirectWay) at arount $100/mo us. He set up my Dir.TV years ago and just recently my Dishnet for a minimal fee. I pay the service in the USA. I provided the equipment, and here set & focused the Dish. On Sat Internet, he sell the entire set-up (Residential DirrectWay) for an initail ~$1600 US = monthly service. He works anywhere on the Island. call him, Leo (809)256-9915. I feel he is fare and understand our needs and demands. He has over 15 years in the business. Has his own car/tools/Equipment. Tell him that Jon from Samana gave you his number.

You won't find reputable dealers giving you service on a self-install. The issue is one of support, not of profit margin. Equipment is still proprietary to the satellite you point to, and we've had a very challenging set of circumstances in the DR in terms of satellite footprints.

Anyways, don't believe the footprint pictures, good luck, but in this business, you get what you pay for.

SamanaJon said:

He has over 15 years in the business.

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This recommendation may be good and fair, I don't know. Satellite internet has been available in the Islands since 2002 only, so, I don't know about the 15 years. In 2002, a good install with the correct equipment cost around US$7,000 and there was only one signal provider in the Caribbean - directway. They are now Hugesnet. So, about the 15 years, well, that does not work for me.

Correction... Sorry about the confusion, Leo began with Cosmos many years ago, 15 year I believe. Sat TV for 15 year, not Sat Internet. There is Dish/Starband/Echostar Sat Internet in the Caribbean (legal only in PR) as there is Directway/Hughesnet. They do have Sat. Inter systems that capture Hughes and Echostar throughout the Northern Caribbean. Leo will instal a Sat Internet system for you (he handles Hughesnet)...at much less than you state above...call him. There are no USA companies (Hughesnet or DishNetwork) that have legit DEALERS for SatCom services (either V or Internet) in the DR for Residential/Commercial Markets. Did not mean to confuse anyone..My apologies

SamanaJon said:

There are no USA companies (Hughesnet or DishNetwork) that have legit DEALERS for SatCom services (either V or Internet) in the DR for Residential/Commercial Markets. Did not mean to confuse anyone..My apologies

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Looks like we're bound to disagree today :laugh:. Yes, there are a number of companies servicing the Caribbean and Central American markets for residential and commercial satellite connectivity - both Vsat technology as well as VoIP, conferencing, white boarding, video streaming, audio streaming as well as other technologies such as collaborative applications. Legal and above board, where you, and your address is registered at the Network Operating Center either in the US or in Europe -- Not with a 'secret' address in the US as so often seen with Satellite TV. Credit cards, bank accounts etc etc - the works. Legal supplier, legal reseller with permission to supply service in these markets and registered with the Dominican authorities as an ISP.

In the Caribbean (most islands excluding the DR) a company by the name of Cable and Wireless held the monopoly for supplying ISP services till a few years ago. That monopoly is now gone and you will find many resellers and many suppliers serving this market. We supply in all the Caribbean Islands, as well as Central America - Yes, legally sound in the DR as well. We supply solutions from 5 providers out of the US and Europe. We try not to serve the residential market, but the corporate market as far as possible.

Let me add something ... this information is on the board in some form or another. Hughesnet is not very active in the Caribbean. It is not a market that they are interested in. The end of 2005, some of us had many customers go dark, as hughesnet decided to change bird G4R and G11 to G16R in the same position. But, they refined the footprint and many Hughesnet customers in the DR specifically was left without connectivity and without the ability to point existing systems to G16R - cause the footprint changed. Those people had to buy new equipment.

Two months ago, another supplier went dark. Because of the hardware configuration that we use, we could still use existing dishes and transmitters, but those customers had to purchase new modems. We saved them US$2,000 in the specific hardware configuration that we use and did the repoint for travel expenses only.

It pays to have a good provider in this field. It is expensive equipment, highly technical equipment, requires technical certification to be qualified for installation and is not a do-it-yourself or back-yard mechanic endeavour.