Satellite Internet News

August 6, 2007

We always think of various options that have available when we plan to change our Internet connection or take a new one. There are many options which include broadband connectivity, leased lines, DSL, or through the cable network. What happens when you are in a far off place and devoid of such facility? Satellite Internet is the best option for such areas and ideal for the rural internet aficionados. The technology of Satellite Internet does not use a phone line or a network cable, but it depends on a satellite dish for both download and upload. The speed of Satellite Internet is definitely much faster than the dial-up modem connections. So how does Satellite Internet work? Let us first check out the equipments used. The equipments used are two-foot by two and half-foot dish for receiving and transmitting data. A modem is used for both, upload and download connections. The satellite dish needs to be connected through two coaxial cables, which also provide power to the dish.
The installation when done must ensure that the dish has a southern view, since most satellites orbiting the Earth are at the equator. The data gets transferred from the orbiting satellites and transmits to your dish, which then transfers the data to your computer via the coaxial cables. The Satellite Internet uses the technology of Internet Protocol (IP) multicasting. This provides the option of communicating 5,000 channels at the same time through a single satellite frequency. The data is transferred from a single point to multiple points in a compressed format. The advantage of compression is that it reduces the data size and also reduces the bandwidth requirements substantially.

Here, one needs to understand the functioning of TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol). TCP actually controls and manages the transmission through IP. TCP sends the data for the receipts. If the same is not received within a specific time frame, then the TCP sends back the data and it slows the data transfer rate. This factor must be considers when using Satellite Internet, because a delay of few milliseconds can affect the speed of the Internet. The problem needs to be corrected immediately when it is detected which only HughesNet does.

The notable companies that offer this service of Satellite Internet on a two-way basis are HughesNet aka Direcway, WildBlue, and StarBand. HughesNet is the only provider which designed and uses a complex but efficient technology to transmit data over satellite. This Protocol is “IPOS” Internet Protocol Over Satellite. This technology is years ahead of the competition.

HughesNet was formerly known as Direcway. The Hughes Corp. (Hughes Network Systems) bought the remaining shares of Direcway making the world’s largest leader to offer Internet via Satellite. The earlier Direcway service was known as DirecPC which was the world’s first satellite internet provider. DirecPC offered a dial-up modem or connection to send data to the internet. Only data received or downloaded was via satellite, which offered a much slower speed and performance.

One of the new comers to the market is WildBlue. WildBlue currently has two only satellites in operation. When compared to HughesNet’s twelve satellites it’s a small slice of the market. WildBlue uses a cable modem technology for their protocol. This technology is not optimized for satellite internet usages, which limits the bandwidth and availability of their satellites.

An old-timer in the satellite internet business is StarBand. StarBand is not seen or heard of much anymore. The few thousand, or maybe only hundreds of customers that StarBand has left, have been jumping ship. The company is no longer investing money into research and development and they are no longer offering upgrades.

Copyright Elite Satellite

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.

Internet connectivity at your home helps you to remain connected to the world. It also helps to pay your bills and book flight tickets. Offices use Internet to access Email, establish VPN’s and gather information. There are a host of options as to which Internet connection to get. Dial-up, DSL, broadband and cable Internet are some of the options that we are all aware of. Satellite Internet connectivity is another option that helps us to access high speed Internet connection. Companies like HughesNet offer Satellite Internet connectivity for home and office use. People in rural areas can easily acquire the services because there is no need for any fiber optic cable to be laid for accessing the service. A dish on the rooftop and a modem are the instruments needed to start browsing the Internet.

The charges are also moderate and different packages are offered by the service providers. Residential plans cost approximately $59.99 per month and $249.99 for the installation charges. The service provider will provide you with a modem and a satellite dish to access the Internet. The download speeds for home plans start at 700 Kbps which can be compared to any other Internet connection. The connectivity generally comes with features such as e-mail with volume storage options, spam protection, virus protection and blog creation tools. You can also customize your browser with the latest sports, news, financial reports, entertainment and weather information. The packages that are offered for small and medium sized business also come with a host of service offerings. There are other packages which cost $99.99 per month. These are ideal for small office and it is almost 50 times faster than a dial-up with speeds of 28. 8 Kbps. The maximum download speed for such connection is 1.5 Mbps. The maximum upload speed is 300 Kbps and the packages generally come with 10 Email accounts. Value added services are offered such as 1 to 2 day service assurance plans which provide additional support. If you have a medium sized business and you have higher requirements for speed and bandwidth then you need to spend around $179.99 per month for your connection. The download speeds are approximately 2Mbps and 20 Email accounts. All plans include free delivery of the system, standard installation, 5-20 Email accounts with 2GB of space, anti spam and virus protection and a warranty on parts and labor costs. If you have your office in rural America, Satellite Internet is the best option for you because you do not have to wait for the cable company to lay fiber optic cables. Chances of downtime are less with satellite Internet unlike cable modem and broadband connections.

Satellite Internet comes with host of features which keeps it ahead of other technologies. Researchers are working on gaps that are still there in the technology. If you are looking for options in high speed Internet connectivity for your home or office Satellite Internet is the best option.