Used to have Dish Network. Now have Time Warner and Road Runner with all of the same channels, for less money. Had dish in 00-01, and it sucked. No local channels, hard rain would mean no tv, and if some punk ran into it late at night you are SOL.
Friend has Direc Way for his satellite high speed internet, and keeps bragging about how it will be so much faster than road runner, but he has yet to get it to work right (56k kicks his ass).
Neither satellite companies have to be connected to a phone line. But you are able to connect them (same with Time Warner) to a phone line for movie ordering.
Orion, with Vonage, how does it compare on collect calls? Do you still have a "normal" phone number?