Empowering the Rural Consumer: The Role of Self-Service Support Models in Enhancing Customer Satisfaction with Satellite Internet Services

Abstract

Rural broadband policy has largely focused on infrastructure deployment, yet the design of service support models can also have a significant impact on user satisfaction. In high-friction rural-remote regions—defined as areas with limited technician access, low provider density, and significant logistical barriers—support structures shape not just usability, but the lived experience of autonomy. This paper thus develops a conceptual model linking support model type (self-service vs. human-assisted) to customer satisfaction, mediated by perceived autonomy. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Self-Service Technology (SST) literature, and informed by qualitative fieldwork in Rockingham County, Virginia, we theorize that self-service models foster autonomy and thus improve satisfaction—particularly when users own and manage their broadband hardware. This conceptual paper lays the theoretical foundation for understanding how support model design—not just connectivity—shapes customer satisfaction in rural and underserved contexts.