NICE AND EASY: Is there a special DIRECTV satellite for commercial customers?

No.

(Wait, I had better write a longer article than that.)

DIRECTV is the dominant force in television for businesses. It’s the way that millions of businesses provide entertainment in their breakrooms, staterooms, offices, bars, and waiting rooms. The best part about the DIRECTV for Business experience is that it’s very much like having DIRECTV at home. You get access to the same channels and much of the same equipment. If you know DIRECTV from home, there’s zero learning curve.

How are DIRECTV installations for business different from DIRECTV home installations?

Generally there is no difference. DVRs aren’t allowed for most commercial installations, so businesses rely on traditional receivers. It’s possible to use the same dish that’s used for homes, but generally businesses will get the Legacy Reverse Band Slimline 5 dish because it’s more expandable. A SWM-30 multiswitch is also used to provide service to up to 26 receivers. Most homes just don’t need that many, but a lot of bars and restaurants do.

And the satellites?

All of DIRECTV’s programming is available on satellites at the 99, 101, and 103 locations. It’s no longer necessary to have a separate dish for international service, and the satellite at the 119 location is being retired.

There was a time when some music and international channels were at the 119 location and international channels were at the 72.5 or 95 location, but that’s in the past. All you need is just in three spots.

Some large commercial customers use “private networks” to communicate with their people. At one time these were also on other satellites but today they’re all on the same satellites as residential customers use.

So, wait a minute…

I can see you looking at this dish and thinking, hey. This dish is designed for 5 satellite locations. Yet, you’re telling me I only need 3. Can’t I just use the less expensive 3-location dish?

Yes, you could, but you probably shouldn’t. Using that dish will limit you to 13 receivers. That may seem like enough today but it may not be enough for your future. It’s better to get it right the first time. AT&T’s standards for commercial installs always include the Legacy Slimline 5 dish and 6 coax cables from the roof.

Does that mean I’m out of luck if I can’t run 6 wires from the roof?

While you really should do the proper commercial install, it’s not a law or anything. You should talk to your Signal Connect representative if you have installation issues. We specialize in solutions!

If you have any questions about your commercial satellite needs, give the experts at Solid Signal a call at 888-233-7563. If it’s after East Coast business hours, fill out the form below.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.