Inside the World of Satellite Broadband

Broadband Internet access has become so commonplace that we’ve already begun to take it for granted. Cable broadband and DSL continue to permeate throughout households and businesses across the globe. Broadband networks and infrastructures are becoming more and more technologically advanced all the time. Many consider Wi-Fi broadband to be the future of broadband connectivity. A high-speed wireless Internet connection regardless of where you are or what you’re doing. As it is, however, there are still a great many places where one cannot gain access to broadband Internet due to the fact that there is no network or infrastructure capable of fostering a signal in certain regions. Enter Satellite Broadband.

The satellites providing satellite broadband signals orbit the earth approximately 22,300 miles above the surface. Because of this extreme distance, there is a lag time between the sending and receiving of the satellite broadband signal. (Approximately .5 - .75 seconds) This might not seem like much, however for certain broadband Internet applications such as e-gaming, it is enough to cause severe interference with game flow. Fortunately, there are few people who are using a satellite broadband connection for the purpose of gaming. Satellite broadband access is generally used for business purposes, government/military use and also the occasional recreational use for people outside of any type of broadband infrastructure through which to connect to the Internet. (Such as passengers on a cruise ship)

Satellite Broadband vs. Wireless Broadband

On the surface, satellite broadband and wireless broadband seem to function in very similar ways. Satellite broadband is itself a type of wireless broadband connection. Satellite broadband serves the purpose of providing a wireless broadband connection to locations that otherwise would not have any way of accessing the Internet.

In order to function, a satellite broadband receiver must have clear line of site from its stationary position to the satellite orbiting above. This simply means that you cannot use satellite broadband networks successfully underground or even in certain indoor settings unless you take the appropriate steps. It is simply the satellite broadband receiver that requires the clear line of site, so if you have an antennae on the outside of a country home, you will be able to access the satellite broadband connection from anywhere inside the home just like any standard wireless broadband connection.