Broadband satellite service requires a receiver dish.
Broadband refers to the size of the bandwidth through which frequencies pass in a transmission system. However, the term broadband is commonly used to refer to high-speed Internet access. Broadband Internet services may be wired or wireless, depending on how the service is delivered to your computer. Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) and cable modem services are two kinds of wired Internet access. Satellite service, on the other hand, is wireless.
Advantages
Satellite service may be the only kind of high-speed Internet access available if you live in a remote or sparsely populated area. Because satellites orbit the earth, they can be used to access the Internet from anywhere in the world, whether you are on a ship at sea or in the outback of Australia. Transmission speeds for satellite broadband are variable, depending on the provider and package purchased. Though this kind of service is slower than DSL or cable modem, it is significantly faster than dial-up service.
Disadvantages
Satellite service can be disrupted by weather as well as by the consumer's line of site to the satellite. There are delays in the signal because the signal relay has to travel into space and then back again to earth. Sometimes satellite broadband users have deal with limitations on bandwidth---usually 500 megabytes---and companies who impose these limitations slow down the user's connection if they go over the set amount. Satellite dishes that receive the signals are large, heavy and costly. Finally, satellite service tends to be the most expensive of all the broadband services.
Types of Satellite Broadband
There are three types of satellite broadband, each with it own disadvantages. The first is one-way multi-cast through which the user only can surf; he cannot interact with the Web. The second type is called one-way terrestrial return. In this type, access to the broadband satellite service takes place by dial-up through a modem, which inhibits the Internet speed. The third type of satellite broadband, called two-way, is the most functional of the three and subject to the advantages and disadvantages already described.
Tags: Internet access, cable modem, high-speed Internet, high-speed Internet access, satellite broadband
