Given the demand for fast satellite Internet, especially in rural areas, there is no way that a single satellite dish orbiting in space would suffice. Because 21% of US residents reside in rural areas, the satellite Internet industry has and must continue to invest in technology that would bring high speed Internet to rural areas. The math tells you that satellite Internet ISPs need to work with a number of satellites.
Learn more about high speed Internet in rural areas.
Satellite broadband and how it works
It all starts with the satellite Internet dish at your home. A satellite Internet technician will install a satellite Internet dish on or near your home to begin the communication between one of the satellites in space. Every Internet satellite in space must communicate with both the individual subscribers and the satellite Internet ISP’s satellite dish. In essence, there are three points of communication required to make satellite broadband work.
The space satellites that rural America need for satellite Internet all reside 22,000 miles above the equator. In order to get satellite Internet you must have a clear view of the southern sky near where the satellites reside. If the mini dish can’t communicate directly with the orbiting satellite, there will be disruptions in satellite broadband service.
Discover the advantages of fast satellite Internet.
Satellites in orbit
A single satellite is able to provide enough bandwidth for an entire region (sometimes more). For example, the AMC-15 provides high speed internet in rural areas in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Arkansas. And with each passing year, satellite technology continues to expand.
Take for example the ViaSat-1 launched by ViaSat, Inc. in October 2011. This is the highest capacity satellite dish ever. Once fully operational, the satellite will provide Ka-band spot beam high speed Internet in rural areas throughout North America and Hawaii.
Are you looking for high speed Internet in rural areas?
In all, there are more than 400 satellites in space that make sure users all over the globe get satellite Internet. You might think that the number of satellites in space will grow exponentially as demand for satellite Internet grows, but that may not be the case. Because satellite technology is advancing and one satellite today can provide more power than one satellite could years ago, it’s possible we won’t need as many satellites to do the job.
Sources:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/census_issues/metropolitan_planning/cps2k.cfm
http://www.satsig.net/sslist.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/technology/16satellite.html?pagewanted=all
