How Does Satellite Internet Work?

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In an era, where various options are available to access the internet, satellite has emerged as a promising technology to divide the connectivity in remote areas where traditional internet structure hasn’t been deployed yet. Satellite internet is a promising solution to connectivity in these areas, as it provides fast and reliable access to the internet. 

Satellite internet, as the name suggests, is a communication system that uses geostationary satellites to provide internet coverage. Unlike traditional internet systems like DSL or fiber, This type of internet relies on satellites in the orbit of the earth to provide internet connectivity. 

Compared to the traditional internet options that we have available, SI (Satellite Internet) offers the unique advantage of providing internet connectivity, even in the most remote of areas where mobile networks are patchy, traditional internet connections cannot be employed, and a telephone exchange is miles away. 

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How Does Satellite Internet Work?

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So how does SI provide internet connectivity, even in the most remote areas? Well, a satellite internet bypasses the telephone networks entirely and does not rely on a physical connection, instead, it relies on a satellite in the orbit of the earth to send and receive data. This means that with this type of connection, you can get internet access in most remote areas, villages, and towns, where traditional internet services cannot be employed. 

Since SI does not rely on a physical connection, it is not affected much by bad weather. Unless there is a huge thunderstorm, you won’t see the network being disrupted, unlike your traditional networks, which get severely affected in bad weather and sometimes, the wires even get damaged. This is one of the reasons why airlines like Qantas Airways are using SI to provide access through their in-flight wifi service wifi.qantas.com.

Satellite WiFi and internet uses a two-way data transmission process; upstream transmission and downstream transmission. Upstream data transmission refers to the transmission of data from the user to the satellite while downstream refers to the reception of data from the satellite by the user. 

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Equipment Needed for SI

For satellite internet, there are only two pieces of equipment that the users require; a satellite internet dish and a satellite internet router. 

Satellite Internet Dish

The job of the SI dish is similar to the satellite TV dish. It acts as a transceiver that relays information back and forth between the satellite and the user. The aforementioned two-way transmission of data is being carried out by the satellite internet dish to transmit and receive data.

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Satellite Internet WiFi Router

The other piece of equipment that the users require for satellite internet is a SI WiFi router. It needs to be installed at your property along with an SI dish. It receives the signals from the SI and encrypts it before transmitting it back to you. It is usually provided by the SI service provider and it gives the added benefit of providing you with a WiFi service so you can connect your wireless devices to the network. 

Nowadays, an SI router can be found on most airplanes that provide in-flight WiFi service like Qatar Airways WiFi. In-flight WiFi services also rely on this option to provide internet connectivity to their passengers.

To cater to the satellite WiFi and internet needs, several service providers have emerged in recent years including SpaceX’s Starlink, OneWeb, and HughesNet, that over various plans according to speeds, data capacity, and coverage areas.