These are really good answers. The short version is that so long as you are over 31 SQF, you're technically "operational". The number depends on a variety of factors, some examples:
geography
line of sight
atmospheric noise (ie weather)
distance from the center of the satellite beam
As MrBuster and MarkJFine mentioned, there is included redundancy in case there is a lot of 'noise' over the air for whatever reason. We attach backup data just in case something isn't delivered the first time. Like a delivery person carrying an extra slice of pizza in case he got hungry on the way... 🙂
We also factor that into overhead, so if your system has to add in that 'make up' data, we do not count it as additional data usage.
The perception of losing internet signal when your SQF dips is likely subjective (if your devices say you're connected to Wi-Fi but there is no internet connection, that is a different story). You may time out trying to get somewhere data intensive, or struggle to reach a site if you have many devices online (not necessarily browsing) at the same time. Consider that when the SQF drops, your terminal and radio have to do some extra lifting which would be the difference between say... how fast you can carry a 7oz box of tissues vs a 10lb ream of paper from one place to another. Spread that over all the devices in the house, during peak hours, to a popular website and you're probably going to feel like you just can't get there at all.
Hope I was able to add to this great discussion!
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