Whereas physical wires and cables are needed to connect to the internet via DSL or cable internet, satellite Internet uses satellites to broadcast the internet to users and is available throughout the nation, unlike other Internet services like fiber internet. This kind of Internet is great for people living in or businesses situated in rural areas where other kinds of internet services aren’t offered. Currently, there are only a handful of satellite internet service providers, including HughesNet and Viasat. More recently, Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, launched his own satellite internet service called Starlink, and Amazon will be doing the same with Project Kuiper.

Satellite Internet transmits data through radio signals beamed down from Earth’s orbiting satellites. The information you send and receive uses modems or satellite dishes at your residence to do so. From your modem or dish, the information is sent up into space to that satellite and then back down to its destination. It uses what is called a five-part relay that goes in this order: device connected to Internet, modem/router, satellite dish, satellite in space, Network Operations Center (NOC.) Devices that connect to the Internet include computers, phones, tablets, gaming consoles, and more.

After you have an Internet-ready device to send commands from, the next place data will be transferred to would be your modem/router. For a more sturdy connection, you can plug your device directly into the modem, but this option isn’t available for devices like smartphones. Your router will connect your modem’s WiFi abilities to the connected device. Most providers offer both routers to rent and buy, and you must ensure it is configured correctly to work with your provider. The satellite dish will then beam the signal up to the satellite in the sky, where the Network Operations Center processes your request, accesses the Internet, and sends you back the information.

While there are obvious benefits to this kind of Internet connection, there are a few drawbacks you should note before determining whether it is right for you. This way to access the internet is widely available and offered in regions that otherwise might not have access to connectivity. You need to know that this kind of internet can be slower than other options and can be influenced and disrupted by the weather. It doesn’t have the best notoriety among users and has garnered quite a bad reputation, but it is an excellent option for high-speed Internet access from anywhere. Elon Musk’s Starlink could potentially improve credibility for this type of Internet.

Satellite is one of the four main types of broadband Internet and allows access from anywhere. You also don’t need cables and wires and an infrastructure to do so, making it wonderful for people that are more physically isolated from the rest of society. Because the transmitted data must travel long distances, the speeds at which content will upload and download will be much slower with this connection. These kinds of plans don’t offer great speeds and are costly due to the equipment and technology used. Read another article here.