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Internet from the heavens

Satellite is often touted as an alternative to fixed-line access such as cable or ADSL, but it does have limitations and in the United Kingdom, is yet to offer the same sort of data speeds. Despite that, satellite has succeeded in providing much faster and often more reliable Internet service, particularly in rural and regional areas, than the standard public system telephone network.

There are two types of satellite services you can use: asynchronous and synchronous. Similar to the asymmetrical DSL service, asynchronous means that there are different speeds for upload and download traffic, again, downstream is faster than upstream. Synchronous satellite services on the other hand, have the same speed for upstream as for downstream, which makes it more suitable to services that are heavily impacted by delays, like video and audio streaming.

These satellite technologies work on one of two principles:

1) Data is downloaded from the satellite to a terrestrial base station and from the base station to the consumer by microwave link. The consumer requires a receiving dish or antenna and a standard phone modem for uploading data to the base station and from there to the satellite.

2) Data is downloaded directly to the consumer's satellite dish but a phone modem is still required to upload data to a terrestrial base station and to the satellite.

Data download speeds for consumer systems usually range from 64Kbps to 400Kbps, with upload transfer rates restricted to the 33Kbps maximum of any 33Kbps or 56Kbps modem. More expensive corporate systems can go as high at 2Mbps. Speeds can be affected by traffic volume and even bad weather, and costs vary considerably depending on the carrier.

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