Satellite Internet News

Satellite Internet is one of the new technologies for accessing the Internet. The technology uses a transponder, dish and a modem for uploading and downloading data from a computer to the service provider’s server. HughesNet is a leading provider of satellite Internet services. Satellite Internet connectivity is good for data transfer, but it is not the ideal choice for online gaming and other real time applications. Let us find out why.
Latency is a factor that causes roadblocks in Satellite Internet connectivity being used for online gaming. Internet researchers are convinced that at present service levels online gaming is not ideal over satellite Internet. The time it takes for an electromagnetic signal to cover a two way distance is approximately 0.48 seconds at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. By all practical means this is above acceptable limits and the primary reason why online gaming is not suggested if you have a satellite Internet connectivity. The transponders are normally at a height of 22,300 miles above the equator. Apart from latency there are other factors such as degradation of the signals during heavy precipitation and solar interference in Mid March and late September. Another factor that would hinder online gaming via Satellite Internet is bandwidth availability. Online gaming is real-time and requires high bandwidth between the server and the player’s computer. Satellite Internet may not provide such high bandwidth requirements for home use. Online games are developed using peer-to-peer architecture and the bandwidth requirements are directly related to the scalability of the game. If the number of players increases the bandwidth requirements for the game will be more. Real time games have to maintain consistency of state. It is important that all players have the same view of the car in a racing game. This requires high speed, less latency and almost negligible jitters. The bandwidth requirement for an online gaming application is calculated as NLu/Tu; where N is the number of updates that is sent and received in each update period and Lu is the size of the updates. The update period parameter is Tu. Researchers who work on the bandwidth requirement of a game use this formula. As an end user we should know the requirements before we start on a game.

Satellite Internet companies such as HughesNet offer speeds of 700 Kbps, 1 Mbps, and 1.5 Mbps for home connections as well as 1.5 Mbps and 2 Mbps for business connections. Online gaming is not ideal over Satellite Internet because factors such as loss of packets and jitters may cause the player to lose or abandon a game. It will be a frustrating experience for the player and hence it is advisable that for gaming purposes either DSL or broadband connectivity be used. Satellite Internet providers are continuously working on their technology to upgrade their infrastructure so that they can offer higher levels of services to subscribers. Things are moving at a brisk pace but until the speed and other factors improve online gaming fans should use DSL, broadband or cable Internet.

Elite Satellite is Offering HughesNet anywhere.
Riverside, CA, July 16, 2007

HughesNet is a solution for all internet users, which provides very high speed connection to users in the US. The technology is based on satellite internet and requires a clear southern sky. It is totally wire-less and keeps you online at any time or place.

The breakthrough technology of HughesNet is provided by Hughes Network Systems LLC, which has more than 30 years of experience in the field of satellite communication. The technology is beneficial for both the government, business and the individual users. The market for HughesNet is not limited only to the United States, but serves worldwide to over 100 countries. Moreover, the brand has now become synonymous to the world of wireless communication.

The technology of HughesNet offers Internet service via satellite dish and through your telephone line. Your computer will be connected to the orbiting satellite with the help of the dish, usually installed on the roof of the home. The download speeds usually varies from 700 Kbps to 2000 Kbps and is definitely faster than the normal dial-up connections, in fact up to 70x faster. It is usually not recommended to play online real-time games through this service or avail VOIP because of the latency time. The speed is beyond comparison and you will have a great net surfing experience. The few benefits that HughesNet offers to the customers are services which are available at any place and even at places where cable and DSL connections are not within the reach, there is no downtime and large files can be downloaded in minutes and not is hours.

HughesNet has assured customers that surfing the web is as easy as going through the pages of a book Music and video download can be done at incredibly fast speeds. Another advantage of the service is platform independence and it can run on both Windows and Macintosh based computers. The minimum requirement is a Windows 98SE or higher version and for Mac OS the version you are using has to be 10.1 or higher. Your system should have a 10/100 Ethernet network capability. The service comes with various tariff plans suited for your home, office or personal use

The HughesNet Ethernet connection helps you to set up the internet link with much ease. There is no software required and it is backed up with 24/7 professional assistance for any form of troubleshooting. Apart from the above mentioned benefits, HughesNet has the latest technology in satellite internet and has the new generation HN7000S group of satellite systems. It is of great benefit for small offices, large enterprises and also for individual use. The HughesNet allows you do more work efficiently and do not keep you waiting for important downloads. With excellent bandwidth, it is the real time internet solution for can you for your browsing requirements.

HughesNet is the leader in Satellite Internet connectivity in the United States. It has 325,000 customers and the number is growing everyday. To meet customer’s expectations HughesNet has launched the Boeing built Space3 satellite into space. The Ka- band satellite was launched by the Ariane 5 ECA launcher from Kourou, French Guiana on 14th of August 2007. The spacecraft will maneuver in a circular orbit at a height of 22,300 miles above the equator at 95 degrees West longitude. Hughes will start using the satellite for commercial purposes in 2008. The Spaceway 3 satellite was designed and developed by Hughes because there was a need for commercial satellite to fulfill growing customer expectations. It has features such as onboard traffic switching and routing capability. Other advanced features include 10Gbps overall capacity, fast packet switching and dynamic beam forming. The satellite will help Hughes to launch bandwidth-on-demand satellite services with site-to-site, single hop networking of high performance ground terminals. The single hop communication between satellite terminals will eliminate the need for routing traffic through a central hub earth station. The Ka-band spectrum will help in high speed services for IP data and multimedia applications. The satellite has a digital processor, downlink phased array antenna, microwave switch matrix and flight hardware and software.

In the next couple of months Boeing along with Hughes will complete on orbit testing of the systems. It will also complete deployment of the satellite’s 132-foot solar arrays. An overall satellite checkout and systems acceptance testing will also be completed during this period. After completing all tests Hughes will put the satellite into commercial operation providing high-end satellite Internet connectivity to clients across America and Canada.

Hughes mission statement of ‘Connect to the Future’ through Satellite based Internet services can be partly achieved by the launch of the Spaceway 3 satellite. Like many other first’s to it credit Hughes will be able to offer high-end Satellite Internet services to customers and will move ahead of it competitor Wildblue. The Satellite Internet market has enough space to grow and the technology is being accepted by people across the length and breadth of the country. Customers in rural areas who do not get access to broadband and cable modem facilities will benefit greatly once Hughes puts the Spaceway 3 satellite into commercial use. The expected date of the start of commercial operations of the satellite can be anytime in the early part of 2008. HughesNet is a communication filed with the SEC has stated that Spaceway 3 can help address a US$ 26 billion per year market in North America. Apart from this HughesNet can offer services in Canada and Puerto Rico. The existing customers of Hughes are offered service using the conventional Ku-band satellite systems. They would need to change their existing equipment to receive services from the Ka-band Spaceway 3 satellite. There are licensing issues which Hughes needs to sort out before the commercial operation starts in early 2008. Once that is done customers can expect Satellite Internet connectivity with speeds that are comparable with any other technologies and no downtime of services.