Most of us have a standard broadband connection with traditional wires to help access the internet. However, in rural areas, it can be quite difficult to access the internet via this sort of wired connection. But this problem can be overcome by Satellite Internet connections. So what exactly is it? Is it the next big thing? Let us learn together and find out all about Satellite Internet and discover whether it’s right for us or not.
Over the past few years, Internet has enjoyed explosive growth. Undoubtedly, it is the busiest network on the planet. Not only it has become an instant post office but also a shopping mall, book store, bank, blind date venue, and more. Although, the internet has become faster but places like rural areas still lack high-quality internet services. However, Satellite Internet- ‘the wave of future’, might change all of this. How? We’ll find out soon!
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What is Satellite Internet?
Satellite Internet is the process of accessing the Internet with the help of communication satellites. It is a wireless connection that involves three satellite dishes. One at the internet service provider’s hub, second in space, and third in your house, and the internet is beamed from the space. It is a lot different from the land-based internet services running through wires.
Satellite Internet is independent in terms of location. The connection could be taken anywhere as it provides global coverage. It is ideal internet access in places where the quality of access is poor or unreliable or places where terrestrial Internal access is unavailable.
How does Satellite Internet work?
It works by using radio waves to communicate with satellites orbiting the earth. Here, data is sent and received through a communication network that starts with your device and travels through modem and satellite dish. It goes to a satellite in space, and back down to a ground station on earth to NOC or Network Operations Centers.
After that, data travels back through this network, out to space and back to your satellite dish on earth, to deliver data on your device. So, it is same as the traditional Internet, just that the information has been to space and then reached you.
How useful will Satellite Internet be?
As mentioned above, it could be really useful for the people living in the remote or rural areas where regular Internet connection cannot reach. People living in urban areas do not face problems of poor connectivity but it’s different in rural areas. Further, the average internet speed through this is expected to be anywhere between 10-40Mbps. Although, it promises to take it up to as high as 300Mbps.
So, people in rural areas can also benefit from Satellite Internet as it will be there at every hour of the day. It is also the only medium through which communication can be established in disaster zones when normal communication gets affected. Besides, it can also be used in military camps in hilly region. The cables cannot be installed there, so Satellite Internet will be a perfect choice.
Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet in India:
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has indicated that the satellite broadband services of the company- Starlink– could soon launch in India. As per the post on Twitter by Musk, he said that the company is figuring out how the regulatory approval process in the country world would work for Starlink. As of now, the service is available in 14 locations including Australia, Chile, UK, US, among others, as a part of beta test. However, it did allow Indians to sign up for the beta testing when the satellite internet arrived in India.
As for India, the Starlink satellite connection could soon go live, for ten rural Lok Sabha constituencies. The company is also expected to meet ministers and legislators to bring in 100 percent broadband connectivity.
Amazon eyeing satellite broadband space in India?
Musk’s SpaceX is not the only company to come up with plans to deploy satellites in the orbit of earth. Amazon also has similar plans for it’s own broadband service called ‘Project Kuiper‘. As per the company, the goal of Project Kuiper is to provide reliable, affordable, high-speed, low-latency broadband service to unserved and underserved communities across the world.
Amazon claims that the project will provide ground station services directly to customers. Together, these projects will bring broadband to more households across the world.
DoT approves OneWeb Satellite Internet Services?
In November 2020, Sunil Mittal, Executive Chairman of OneWeb, told that company was planning to offer broadband services in India by May or June 2022. Further, OneWeb has got license from the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) which means that the company is allowed to offer its internet services to the country.
For people who don’t know, OneWeb is owned by Bharti Global and UK Government. The company will offer it’s services in remote areas, railways, shipping agencies, forest departments, and more.
Telesat-Nelco to offer Satellite services in India:
According to the reports, Canada’s Telesat is in partnership with Tata Group’s Nelco. They will complete their constellation build and provide us with their network services from 2024. As per the media reports, both companies are in talks with the government to get permission.
Telesat plans to invest around $5 billion to set up a constellation of around 300 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. Also, it’s been said that this satellite will open up a much larger market for satellite communication and that will expand the entire sector.
Pros and Cons of Satellite Internet:
Pros and Cons at a glance-
| PROS | CONS |
| Available nearly everywhere | Expensive |
| Broadband level speed’s possible | Prohibitive Data caps |
| Cost effective compared to mobile hotspots | High Latency |
| Often faster than promised | And vulnerable to bad weather |
| Quick recovery post-disaster | Won’t support a VPN (Virtual Private Network) |
I hope this article was helpful and knowledgeable, if it was then do let us know in the comments down below. Also, if you’re interested in similar articles then here are a few recommendations for you.
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