Remember Those Giant Satellite Dishes That Were Everywhere? Here’s What They Were For – SlashGear

Diehard C-Band enthusiasts note that you can still reach up and pluck some channels out of the air with one of these satellite dishes. Like ham radio operators, the novelty of establishing a working television signal with one of these relics brings a meeting of ingenuity and vintage, technological charm together that’s fun. However, one of the more relevant uses for these sizeable satellite dishes is the establishment of massive Wi-Fi networks.

With a C-Band dish, you can replace a few key signal reception components into a Wi-Fi antenna that can expand coverage from the typical few meters to many miles. It should be noted that the coverage area must be clear of obstructions like hills, buildings, or other structures. Yet, for rural residents, building a wide ranging wireless coverage area can be immensely beneficial. 

For one thing, farm owners could use an old C-Band dish to create a coverage window extending to the far reaches of their property. This would open up the potential for a variety of beneficial connectivity additions around their farm land (for instance, sensors to monitor growth, security systems, or networked and automated feeding or watering solutions).