| Across the United States, people are catching on | | | | satellite internet technology to stream media, |
| to satellite internet. Internet, has of course, | | | | download videos and mp3 files, and simply surf |
| changed the way we live today. Without it, many | | | | the web much faster than you would with dial up. |
| of us wouldn't know what to do with ourselves-it | | | | Satellite internet actually works a lot like satellite |
| has become that embedded in our everyday lives. | | | | television which many rural living citizens are |
| Logging in to the net has become second nature | | | | already very familiar with. A geostationary satellite |
| to a whole generation. How many of today's | | | | orbiting the Earth above the equator beams data |
| teenagers and even their parents can't live | | | | to a dish attached to the roof of your house. The |
| without their social networks or blogs? The | | | | dish then relays data at speeds of 400 kbps or |
| internet has become an inextricable part of our | | | | more to a satellite modem which is connected to |
| lives. | | | | your computer. |
| It may be surprising to some then, to find out | | | | With satellite internet, you dial into your ISP with |
| that many people, a large population of the United | | | | your special satellite internet modem. A tunneling |
| States in fact, does not have access to DSL or | | | | code allows requests to go out to the satellite |
| cable internet. They remain reliant on dial-up, which | | | | service's network operations center or NOC, |
| pales in comparison to high speed internet access. | | | | which is located on solid Earth. From there, NOC |
| The problem is that these rural communities do | | | | requests the web page you want to see and the |
| not yet have the infrastructure put in place to | | | | server sends the page back to the NOC which |
| enable high speed internet access. The financial | | | | then beams the page to a satellite and forwards |
| burden does little to compel internet service | | | | the information to your dish. The dish relays the |
| providers to do anything about that. So, many | | | | information, i.e. the web page to your satellite |
| people who live in rural areas are left out of the | | | | modem and to your computer. Although it sounds |
| high speed internet revolution, that is, until recently | | | | complicated and lengthy, the whole process takes |
| with the introduction of satellite broadband | | | | less than half a second. |
| internet. | | | | This lapse in response time is known as latency. |
| Satellite internet access is a high speed internet | | | | The delay occurs as your request is routed from |
| service that uses a satellite dish to provide online | | | | your PC to the modem and on through to the |
| connectivity and downloads of at least 400 kilobits | | | | NOC and web server. However, latency today is |
| per second. For those who are feeling left out of | | | | being reduced significantly and it is much less |
| the high speed cable or DSL collective, satellite | | | | noticeable with streaming data such as music or |
| broadband internet may offer an even better | | | | shareware. |
| alternative. If you can get a clear, unobstructed | | | | There are many very affordable pricing plans |
| view of the southern sky, you can easily use | | | | available to suit all your needs. |