Internet Satellite Communication

Internet satellite communication operates much like a two-way highway--in both directions.

Unlike satellite television, which only incorporates a dish that receives a signal, Internet satellite transmissions occur in both directions: transmit and receive. Because of this, experienced and certified personnel must install the service; it is not a do-it-yourself project.

Equipment

Satellite Internet communication equipment includes a satellite in stationary space orbit in sequence with the earth, a satellite dish to "catch" the signal, a modem to transmit the signal to your computer and complicated transponders capable of sending and receiving multiple Internet signals between the satellite and your dish.

Clarke's Belt

Multiple satellites sit in a geostationary or geosynchronous orbit around the earth in a "belt" approximately 22,000 miles from the earth, named after famed science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. Clarke first wrote about the geostationary orbits of satellites, before they were even invented, in late 1945 in an article for a magazine. Clarke was provided one of the first satellite dish systems at his home in Sri Lanka when they first came out.

The NOC

Network Operations Centers operate in different locations depending upon the satellite Internet provider. A Center monitors and controls all communications over Internet satellite systems. VSat's NOC is located in Akron, Ohio, while one of HughesNet NOCs is located in Maryland. The NOC monitors the system and watches for power failures as well as performance issues that may have an affect on the system itself.

References

• HughesNet: High Speed Internet--How It Works
• V-Sat Systems: How Internet Satellite Systems Work
• CTIInfo: Clarke's Belt
• Arthur Clarke Foundation: Biography