"Broadband Internet access is sweeping the satellite industry, and Gilat is right in the middle of it,” said Sean Badding, an analyst at the Carmel Group, a satellite industry research and consulting firm. “They’ve got the big-name partnerships to do business.” “They’re not going after subscribers in the metro areas. Right now there’s no clear advantage that satellites have over cable or DSL in the big cities,” Badding said. “It’s not going to make sense for most in metro areas, but it will make sense for those who live in areas not served by cable or DSL.”

"AOL is trying to use another form of bandwidth to expand their business,” said Schaeffler, a subscription TV analyst at the Carmel Group, which researches the satellite industry. “If you look at it, they’re the only company in the industry of their size and stature that sees the battle as one of bandwidth as opposed to cable vs. satellite, vs. wireless vs. telephony.”