Buzz
Discover how satellite Internet works and explore more images of Internet connections.How can you get online without using dial-up if you're located far from a phone company's office for DSL and there's no cable TV available on your street? Satellite Internet could be a viable option. It's perfect for rural users looking for broadband access. Instead of relying on telephone lines or cable systems, satellite Internet uses a satellite dish for two-way (upload and download) communication. While upload speeds are about one-tenth of the 500 kbps download speed, satellite systems are still about 10 times faster than a regular modem, though cable and DSL offer higher download speeds.
Companies offering or planning to offer two-way satellite Internet services include StarBand, Pegasus Express, Teledesic, and Tachyon. Tachyon is currently available in the United States, Western Europe, and Mexico. Pegasus Express is the two-way version of DirecPC.
Two-way satellite Internet includes the following components:
- About a two-foot by three-foot satellite dish
- Two modems (one for uplink, one for downlink)
- Coaxial cables connecting the dish to the modems
The primary installation requirement is a clear line of sight to the south, as the satellites orbit over the equator. Like satellite TV, factors such as trees and heavy rainfall can interfere with the reception of Internet signals.
Two-way satellite Internet utilizes Internet Protocol (IP) multicasting technology, allowing up to 5,000 channels of communication to be served by a single satellite. This method transmits data from one point to multiple points simultaneously by sending data in compressed form. Compression minimizes data size and bandwidth usage. Traditional land-based dial-up systems have bandwidth limitations that prevent this level of multicasting.
Some satellite Internet services still require a dial-up or cable modem for sending data to the Internet. The satellite downlink functions like a typical terrestrial connection, but the data is transmitted to your computer through the same dish used for receiving Pay-Per-View television programs.
If you live in a rural area and are looking for broadband Internet access, satellite Internet might be the solution for you!
