Satellite broadband offers turnkey solutions which combine leasing capacity and specific services to meet the demands of mobile communications market. Satellite broadband can deliver bidirectional satellite IP access solution in which a terminal with a small antenna can provide a permanent broadband connection. This allows institutional users to create their star networks wherein signals are processed by a central communications node (hub).
This type of satellite Internet network is currently being used by the Irish Ministry of National Education. This service is also used to connect isolated towns in Piedmont, Italy and to bring Internet access to the Algerian public bank network. Emergency service units in Italy are also connected to the Internet through this model. The potential applications of satellite star network are huge. This will allow frequent travellers to connect to the Internet anywhere they go, whether they board on business aircraft, intercontinental trains or boats.
The satellite IP access system makes it possible to create mesh networks to transfer large data at high speed, with per usage charge. However, this service entails more costly terminals as well. The high cost remains an obstacle to the wide adoption of satellite broadband. But a growing number of satellite operators are reaching to the consumer market by making their services affordable. Satellite broadband ISPs think that providing Internet access to consumers at bandwidths and price comparable to ADSL broadband is attainable.
The Ka-band broadband will be introduced in Australia as part of the massive broadband development project of the government. The Ka-band has been launched in Europe and adopted by major broadband providers like Swisscom, Fastweb, Telecom Italia and Hellas On Line. This technology holds the promise for universal broadband coverage. It can support all the features needed to supplement terrestrial broadband networks.
By providing broadband coverage based on small spot-beams (with the prospect of recycling unallocated frequencies), Ka-band satellites can reduce the cost of satellite broadband by a factor of 6-8. This technology also encourages the production of more affordable satellite Internet equipment for consumers, with costs ranging from $300-$400 per terminal. The wide adoption of Ka-band will gradually bring down the cost of satellite broadband connection to competitive prices that would attract household users. In Europe and Africa alone, around 30 million households have no access to terrestrial Internet facilities.
Although latency of satellite Internet is higher than other types of broadband technologies, satellite Internet has been proven to be reliable in transmitting high-volume data, audio and video signals. Used for backup Internet connection, satellite broadband can protect companies from costly losses due to disruption of ADSL or cable broadband service, which could result into errors in real-time transactions like online purchases. Mining companies and airlines also use satellite broadband for it offers the best broadband solution in areas that lack terrestrial networks.
By Warren Sanders III
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