How Satellite Internet Works
What is Satellite Internet?
Satellite internet is a high speed method of connecting to the internet when other, ground-based connectivity methods – DSL, cable, fiber-optics – are not available. Especially popular in rural areas and remote communities, satellite internet also provides connections when the user is traveling or away from land.
How It Works
There are three parts to a satellite internet connection: the ground-based server or hub, which is controlled by the internet service provider and allows access to and from the internet; the satellite, which is in orbit around the Earth, usually in a geosynchronous or geostationary orbit and which functions as a relay; and the equipment at the user’s end, which consists of a satellite antenna or dish, a satellite modem, and the coaxial cable that connects the antenna to the modem. In situations where the user is mobile, the antenna is often a rectangular box.
The server and antenna send and receive information from the satellite via radio waves, and the modem coverts the radio waves to and from digital data. Most satellite internet connections use a technology called IP multitasking, which allows one satellite to handle up to 5,000 connections at one time, through the practice of compressing files.
Installation
Most stationary satellite internet service providers (ISPs) require that a certified technician install the needed equipment at the user’s residence or place of business; this is because of rules from the Federal Communications Commission, not at the whim of the ISP. The satellite antenna or satellite dish is usually mounted on the roof of a building, on a balcony, or on a pole. Then the coaxial cable is run from the antenna into the building and connected to the modem, which, in turn, is connected to the user’s computer.
Connection Speeds
As is the case with most internet connections, not just satellite internet, there is a difference in connection speeds depending on whether the user is receiving data from the internet – called download or downstream speed – or sending data to the internet – called upload or upstream speed. For satellite internet connections, the downloading speeds can be as fast as 5,000 kilobits per second (Kbps) – that’s 5.0 megabits per second – with some connectivity plans, and uploads can be as fast as 300 Kbps.
Drawbacks of Satellite Internet Connections
There are some drawbacks to satellite internet connections, as there are with most technologies. First, there is rain fade or atmospheric interference; when this happens, the signal transmitting to and from the satellite may be disrupted by rain, snow, or other weather events. Once the weather has passed, the signal resumes at normal strength.
Another drawback of a high speed satellite internet connection is the inherent latency, lag, or delay between data being transmitted and received, because of the distance that the information has to travel. As a result, satellite internet does not work well for online gaming, participating in live video connections, or internet phone connections.
Satellite Internet Service Providers
There are currently four companies offering satellite internet service in the United States:
