Satellite internet access

With communications satellites now in orbit around the earth, it is now possible to access the internet virtually anywhere on the planet.

However, due to the cost of satellite access, it is most commonly used in remote areas and at sea where it is not economical or physically possible to deliver cable or wireless services.

Generally, this type of service makes use of the same communications satellites used to deliver television and phone services.

While satellite services tend to provide access at up to around 1Mbps, they suffer from much greater ‘lag’ than cable-based systems. This refers to the amount of time required for information to reach and return from satellites in orbit and makes these systems less effective for online gaming or other activities that require a near-instant response.

There are several different approaches to satellite internet access. All involve receiving a radio transmission bounced off a satellite carrying the internet data requested. However, each user requests information from the internet differently.

One-way satellite access

In these systems, internet data is sent to homes and businesses via satellite. The ‘back channel’, used to request web pages, send emails or any other information back to the internet then uses a phone line, cable or local wireless network.

These systems are useful in providing broadband internet access to areas which can only receive dial-up by cables. However, while the users can receive information at broadband speeds from satellite, they can only send information slowly, making them less useful for people who need to send large files via the internet.

The benefit is that these systems are much cheaper than two-way satellite access. Households only require a small satellite dish capable of receiving a signal and don’t pay the greater cost of sending information via satellite.

Two-way satellite access

This approach involves both receiving and sending information via satellite; in effect providing broadband access for both downloads and uploads.

These systems tend to be more expensive than one-way systems as they require each user to have a satellite dish capable of sending signals back to satellites and there are larger costs in sending information via satellite than via cables or a land-based wireless network.