Satellite Internet Connections: Who provides Satellite Internet Access?

Satellites have been used for a wide variety of service. Satellites we’re first developed by the military as a stable platform for communications and relay of secure information. Satellite technology has since been developed for civilian and commercial use. Applications for this technology include large data transfers and TV or radio broadcasts worldwide.

Since then, satellite technology has found our homes through satellite TV and more recently satellite internet access. Major ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) have been using satellites as a means of communication with other ISP’s located all over the world. Together with large underground sea cables which stretch around the world high-speed data transfers are done with orbiting satellites.

Satellite Internet Access Providers

Satellite Internet service has been growing in popularity today. Mainstream internet connections like DSL and Cable internet has been the backbone               for internet services. Overhead costs like launching a satellite or leasing satellites for high speed data transfer has proved too costly in the past. With the introduction of technological improvements which have satellite equipment a lot cheaper, satellite technology is slowly creeping into the homes of average consumers.

Access to high speed information is a necessity for modern living. Keeping in touch with friends and communicating with business partners are essential for everyday life. Satellite technology is a great way of providing these services to locations which could not be reached by conventional methods such as telephone wires or cables.

Large communication companies like mobile cellphone networks or cable companies have been quick to address these needs by providing satellite connection to out of coverage customers. Satellite technology for home use has been available for a long time. Satellites have been used for watching your favorite cable channels. The difference between satellite cable and satellite internet services is that internet connections just don’t receive but transmit signals as well. Going online and exchanging information requires feedback and your satellite must not only channel data to your computer but also send out information.

Satellite Internet Access Providers offers customers the ability to go online anywhere and anytime. Satellite internet use falls behind DSL and Cable internet. Pricing is the main concern with satellite internet use. But costs are steadily trickling down and more or less competitive with standard DSL and Cable providers.

There are a lot of companies who provide Satellite Internet Access. The two major Satellite Internet services are Hughes (DirectPC/ DirectWay) and Gilat (Starband). A great number of those who provide Satellite Internet Access lease their services from these two companies. These providers mainly offer marketing and technical support to their customers.

Below is a list of some of the Major satellite Internet Access providers in the market today:

• Earthlink
• Galaxy Broadband
• Ground Control
• Net2dish
• Starband
• DirectWay
• MotoSat
• Isat
• Skycasters
• WildBlue

There are still some places in the world where internet access through DSL, Cable and dial-up is not available. Internet services are unavailable due to network congestion, geography or distance. Satellite Internet Access providers provide these users to connect to the internet when conventional services are absent.

Satellite Internet Access is similar to how your satellite TV works. Connecting to the internet is simply done by setting up a satellite dish for receiving and transmitting data. While Satellite Internet Access has its share of shortcomings, they offer people a means of getting connected when there is no other option available.

Connecting via Cable or Satellites: Which is the better option

In terms of connectivity Cable Internet and Satellite Internet services is growing in popularity every day. Traditional ways of connecting your home PC by the use of dial-up connections have been shunned for these modern services. Both services offer greatly enhanced speeds over dial-up connections which run at 56kbps. There are many factors to consider in making the decision of whether what type of connection is best suited for your needs. Cable and Satellite Internet services have their own unique features which make them stand out from the other. Before choosing either one of them a simple understanding of the basic advantages and disadvantages that each type presents should be considered.

There is only one definite answer to this question; it depends on how and why you need internet services. Below is a simple guide on choosing which particular service meets your needs.

Cost of Services

Price of satellite services for every day consumer use has significantly dropped today. Satellite service in the past has been out of the reach of ordinary households and limited to high scale consumers. In terms of service costs, the difference between cable and satellite service is dropping. This has made satellite service available for average homeowners and small businesses. But in terms of cost to service ratio, cable internet prices are still significantly lower than satellite internet. Satellite services are more expensive because they use orbiting satellites to transmit and receive data. Cable internet however uses ordinary cable connections for data transfer.

RESULT: ADVANTAGE CABLE

Data Transfer

Cables can carry large amounts of data at great distances without significant signal losses. Satellite internet services on the other hand carry larger amounts of data at even greater distances. Bandwidths which determine the amount of data that could be transferred is significantly higher in satellite connections. Available transfer rates for both cable and satellite internet are limited due to caps internet services provide to their customers. Data transfer is affected by the number of users connected. Network and Internet services put caps in order to provide their customers an equal online experience.

RESULT: TIE

Dependability

Satellite and Cable internet connections are always on; access to your internet service is as easy as powering up your computer and launching your web browser. In terms of availability of the connection or breakdowns in service satellite and cable internet have different factors which should be considered. Outages (total loss of internet connections) and intermittent (sudden decrease in speeds) connections are the most common complaints for internet subscribers.

Satellites are prone to signal interruptions. Data is transferred over the air and signals are subject to interference from exposure to the elements. In extreme weather conditions like electrical storms, signals get disrupted and this could be seen with intermittent internet connections. Cable Internet however runs on simple cable lines which are protected from the elements. The main problem for cable connections are due to breaks in the continuity of the lines. These types of problems could be easily fixed by simple technicians dispatched to restore connections.

RESULT: ADVANTAGE CABLE

Availability of Service

Cable internet is a great way of integrating your local cable TV services with going online. This is more economical than getting a cable TV service and a separate internet service. Cable services however are limited to areas which cable service is available. This does not hold true for satellite internet service, internet through a satellite connection is not limited to location. Satellite internet services could be provided to even the remote locations which telephone or cable services are absent. The main reason why companies have been offering satellite communication applications is that its services are available in almost any part of the world.

RESULT: ADVANTAGE SATELLITE

Making the choice

Cable internet connections offer greater speeds and convenience. It is also a more cost effective option than satellite internet services. A summary of the services and features gives Cable internet connections advantage over satellite internet services. Satellite internet services provide one feature no other type of internet connection can offer, the flexibility of setting up an internet connection without conventional infrastructure like cables or wires.

Satellite Internet Connection: How does it work?

Satellite Internet service is fast becoming a popular way of going online for many people today. Exclusively for big companies and government use in the past, Satellite Internet connection has grabbed its fair share of the home market. Satellite technology for widespread consumer use was first introduced for RV’s (Recreational Vehicles). This provided families to watch their favorite cable channels anywhere at any time. With internet use becoming more and more of a necessity, satellites provided a convenient way of supplying data and information to simple consumers.

With the continuing growth in the satellite industry, consumer applications are becoming more available. Satellite technology has also been widely used and cost has been greatly reduced. The technology for internet connectivity through satellites has always been present. Satellite costs we’re one of the main of the stumbling blocks in offering it to the general consuming public. Equipment such as dishes we’re outside the budget of many users that its use was limited to those who can afford it. With a wider bandwidth available for consumer use and the mass production of satellite equipments, satellite internet has found its way to ordinary households.

Equipment for Satellite Internet Connections

Satellite internet connections allow wireless connection to an internet provider. The use of satellite dishes allows for transmitting and receiving data over great distances and remote locations. Below are some of the equipments used for Satellite Internet Connections.

Satellite Internet Modem

The word modem comes from two technical terms, modulator and demodulator. This simply means that a modem works as translator of signals. Data and signals being used for satellite communication are different from those being processed by your computers. Modems for DSL, Cable Internet and Satellite all work on the same principle. The modem acts as a translator for these different signals between your internet provider and your PC.

There are many types of modem. Their main difference is in the areas of cost, amount of data, and physical setup. One special type is a two-way modem. This setup uses two modems working separately for transmission and reception. They are located after the satellite dish and connected separately from your PC. One acts as a receiver for data and one for transmitting information. One benefit is faster speeds and more accurate transmission and reception of data to the satellite.

Satellite Internet Dish

These are similar to the ones you see on RV’s (Recreational Vehicles) or news teams. The main difference is what type of data and bandwidth they receive. A satellite dish works like your standard antennae, the main difference is that it can receive and transmit data at greater distances. Satellite dishes are bowl-shaped and contain a feed horn at the center. Signals are then focused into a narrow beam which allows it to accurately travel at long distances.

Ideal setup requires the dish to be mounted in a location with no physical obstruction. It should also be pointed in the direction of the orbiting satellite. Satellite dishes are pointed generally towards the equator. Orbiting commercial satellites are often located at the equator. Advance satellite dishes are able to accept and transmit signals to more than one satellite. This is done with two horns; signals are bounced back from the dish curved surface at different angles to hit a specific horn. The satellite’s horn contains an LNB (Low Noise Background converter). The LNB functions as an amplifier for signals and filters noise (signals not containing information).

How does Satellite Internet Connection Work?

Satellite Internet connections provide online capability access for remote locations and those which are not currently served by traditional or conventional internet providers for DSL and Cable Internet connections. Setting up a connection requires a qualified technician because of the equipments used. The satellite dish should be properly installed and positioned for optimum performance. Setting the cables is tricky and the satellite modem should be properly configured.

Transmission and reception of signals through the orbiting satellite is possible with Internet Protocol Multi-tasking Technology. Orbiting satellites are able to transmit huge amounts of data over great distances at amazingly fast speeds. With Multi-tasking Technology thousands of users could be accommodated simultaneously.

Internet connection through a satellite service all starts when data or information reaches your satellite dish. The size and shape of the satellite dish also plays a role in how much data is gathered and significantly amplifies the signals. But this signal which the satellite collects easily disappears within a few feet and could not be directly reflected inside a house or a cable.

Data is focused to a horn which is integrated in the satellite dish structure. The satellite dish concave structure allows it to focus the signals to the horn. Signals are then received by a hollow tube at the tip of the horn structure. The size and form of the tube is specifically designed to receive a particular type of wavelength. The signals bounce through the tube and received at the LNB (Low Noise Block).

Signals are filtered at the LNB and transferred to a cable which runs to your satellite modem. The modem translates these signals to language your computer understands. Another cable exits from the modem and connects to your computer. An Ethernet cable is usually used to connect the modem to the computer’s Ethernet card. The signals are then processed by the computer and appear as data or images on your website.