Introduction:
If you are living in a place where you don’t get good internet speeds. Or, your area has limited internet options. Then the best solution to this kind of problem is Satellite Internet. So what exactly it is? As the name suggests, the internet which is provided to you with the help of Satellites is usually termed as Satellite Internet. And there are lots more things involved in this, which we see in this post.
Currently, At the time of writing this article, few companies are providing this kind of internet facilities to the users. Those providers include Viasat Internet and HughesNet Internet. Moreover, another popular option for satellite internet includes Starlink. The owner of Starlink is an entrepreneur and business magnate whose name is Elon Musk.
When we talk about Starlink and other internet providers, this kind of internet is not available globally. This is mainly due to the limited number of satellites that provide the internet. But in future this not be the case. Instead, the facility of this internet service will become globally available including the remote and rural areas.
How does Satellite Internet work?
So now let’s have a look at how this kind of internet service works. Firstly your Internet Service Provider(ISP) sends a fiber internet signal to the satellite which is present in the space. The satellite then sends these signals to the Earth. Then the Satellite dish captures this internet signal. The dish is connected to the modem that provides internet signals to the internet-ready devices. The internet-ready device can be a smart TV, Smartphone or computer. This process also works in reverse to your provider and there you have the internet connection.
Components of Satellite internet:
Satellite internet mainly consists of five components and they are:
- Internet-ready device
- Modem/router
- Satellite dish
- Satellite in space
- Network operations center (NOC)
Internet-ready device:
As I’ve mentioned above an internet-ready device can be anything like smartphones, smart TVs, gaming consoles, etc. that can access the internet through proper service. It can also be any other internet-enabled equipment. When you use any of those devices, it sends and receives data from your modem/router.
Modem/Router:
The task of the modem is to translate the data. So that the data can be transferred from the internet-ready device to the satellite dish. One can connect its computer or smart TV etc through an ethernet cable to the modem directly for internet access. But these wires can be a bit messy, and for tablets and smartphones, you still need a Wi-Fi Signal to connect with the Satellite internet facility.
So here comes the role of the Router. It connects with the modem and then it broadcasts the internet signal such that the devices with Wi-Fi capabilities can connect to the internet.
Satellite Dish:
Another important component is the satellite dish. Its position matters a lot so that it can beam signals to the satellite of the provider present in the orbit and to receive signals back. And you do not have to worry about this because the certified technician of the provider does the installation of the dish well along with other components.
Satellite in space:
The satellites used in satellite internet service is nothing but Geostationary Satellite. These satellites rotate with the earth so that sending and receiving signals are done consistently.
Network Operations Center(NOC):
Whatever you do with the satellite internet connection, be it browsing the internet or watching an online show, etc. The data is uploaded and then the satellite transmits that request to the NOC. The NOC has a much larger Satellite dish when compared to the one that you have at the home. Thereafter, NOC receives the signal and finds the requested content from the internet. And then you will receive the requested content from there.
now it’s the time of pros and cons of this kind of internet facility so let’s jump into it.
Pros and cons of Satellite Internet:
Pros:
- Broadband level speed is possible in satellite internet.
- It can recover quick after the disaster.
- One can avail the facility anywhere i.e. in towns , remote areas or rural areas.
- When compared to mobile hotspots it is cost-effective.
Cons:
- You cannot use VPN service in satellite internet connection.
- Bad weather can affect the internet.
- It is very expensive.
- You may experience a high latency.
- It is most probably slower than cable and fiber.
Conclusion:
This kind of internet facility is very helpful especially if you live far away from town i.e. in rural areas or in remote areas. But only a few developed countries such as the US and UK are having the facility of getting this type of internet. So in near future, you may get satellite internet as per your requirement. But still, I would say this will take some time. Starlink has already started the booking of the selected location for satellite internet with a $100 fee. You can go to the Starlink website and check to see if you can avail this internet facility in your location or not. Now it is time to end this post let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading the post and see you in the next one.
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