| Satellite Internet Access has grown by leaps and | | | | Transmission Control Protocol Acceleration (TCPA) |
| bounds over the past few years. As the cost of | | | | is one of the reasons current satellite internet |
| satellite bandwidth decreased, more businesses | | | | users can actually use the Internet. This is a |
| threw their hats in the ring and dramatically | | | | protocol that uses packet management and |
| reduced the fees paid by consumers. It is clear | | | | compression to speed up delivery and reception |
| that satellite access isn’t the mystery it once | | | | of information that is sent over a satellite |
| was, and customers are ready to buy. | | | | connection. TCPA is often used in conjunction with |
| With more surfers riding satellite, the more | | | | a process called pre-fetching. Pre-fetching |
| interest hackers have in the signals bouncing | | | | separates objects from code, such as pictures |
| around in space. Security concerns over satellite | | | | from a web page, and requests the objects first. |
| internet are growing. Encryption is a primary | | | | This allows more time to download the objects, |
| security tool used by internet providers, and users | | | | as they take more time to retrieve and require |
| want to know if it’s enough to defend their | | | | more bandwidth. Combined these solutions |
| data. To answer that we need to follow the path | | | | decrease satellite latency to the point where TCP |
| our data is taking into space. | | | | IP won’t cause an adverse effect on the |
| Satellite Internet has a data transfer problem | | | | user’s bandwidth. And with that we can talk |
| unique to the Internet Service Provider industry. | | | | about Encryption. |
| Packets sent from a user to the Internet must | | | | TCPA can’t handle encrypted packets. Only |
| first be sent into orbital space. This is a long way | | | | clean packets can be managed and compressed in |
| to travel, and since each packet must be | | | | a way to be sent via satellite transmission and |
| acknowledged when it is received to allow more | | | | not time out. This causes a problem as most |
| packets to be sent you essentially have a 45000 | | | | users don’t want to send unsecured data of |
| mile round trip. It could take anywhere from 4-9 | | | | any kind across the Internet, much less personal |
| seconds to travel this distance, which for a | | | | or financial information required to shop online. This |
| computer is an eternity. The problem with the | | | | is a big problem. |
| latency here is that TCP/IP, or Transmission | | | | A common solution to this issue is intermittent |
| Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, requires an | | | | encryption. Data is encrypted at the user, |
| answer to each packet it sends within a certain | | | | transferred to a hub on the provider’s |
| timeframe. The longer it takes to receive an | | | | network and decrypted, then accelerated via |
| answer, the less bandwidth the protocol allows for | | | | TCPA and transmitted to a satellite. This makes |
| the transmission, freeing up room for other | | | | the connection much safer than no encryption, |
| packets. This will eventually lead to a massive | | | | but it does cause issues with secured networks |
| reduction in speed or a termination of the packet | | | | and VPNs. |
| stream. With current latency as it stands in | | | | Many firms are currently working to streamline |
| satellite internet connections, almost every data | | | | this process, but encryption standards won’t |
| request would time out. So how are people | | | | work with current accelerator technology so one |
| currently using satellite access, and what does this | | | | or both will need to be developed further. |
| have to do with encryption? Here we go. | | | | |