| When broadband Internet access debuted in the | | | | satellite Internet usually has higher levels of |
| late 1990's, it was a thrilling technological | | | | "latency"-the time between a request being sent |
| breakthrough for computer users around the | | | | to the server and the server's response-than |
| world. The sometimes frustratingly low speeds of | | | | other services. This has to do with the fact that |
| dial-up connections, along with the additional | | | | the signal travels through space at the speed of |
| process of dialing into a modem, were seemingly | | | | light which is a fixed constant at a little over |
| things of the past. For families in rural areas, | | | | 186,000 miles per second. For typical web usage, |
| however, the distance from their homes to a | | | | such as surfing, checking email or other common |
| phone company's central office precluded DSL | | | | applications, this latency isn't really noticeable. For |
| access and cable television is seldom available | | | | applications that require the lowest possible |
| outside of cities and towns, which meant that | | | | latency, however, such as online gaming, it may |
| they were excluded from this broadband service, | | | | be a factor. As this issue is one of physics, there |
| as well. | | | | is no way to remedy it. |
| As satellite television began to grow in popularity, | | | | Still, for many whose options are either dial-up's |
| especially with households outside of the reach of | | | | ultra-slow speeds or a connection that allows |
| cable television or clear terrestrial broadcast | | | | them to enjoy the full power of most Internet |
| signals, the providers began to offer satellite | | | | applications, satellite Internet access is a |
| Internet access along with their entertainment | | | | convenient solution. The Internet's two most |
| packages. For the families that subscribed to | | | | popular uses are for seeking out information and |
| them, this meant no longer trying to access 21st | | | | for providing quick and easy communication and |
| Century web content on 20th Century equipment. | | | | satellite access provides both of those abilities at |
| Satellite Internet service works a great deal like | | | | much higher speeds than dial up and oftentimes at |
| satellite television. A signal is generated on Earth, | | | | download speeds that rival those of other |
| either a request from the user's computer or the | | | | broadband services. Coupled with the fact that |
| fulfillment of that request from the provider's | | | | these services can be transmitted to almost any |
| servers. The digital information travels the | | | | location on the globe, satellite Internet access is |
| approximately 35,000 miles into space where | | | | certain to gain in popularity. Satellite television has |
| satellites orbit, is bounced off the satellite and | | | | already become a presence from the major cities |
| broadcast back to the user's dish. It sounds like | | | | of North America to the most remote rain |
| something out of a science fiction story when the | | | | forests and deserts of the American continent at |
| details are explained and, really, it's not far off. | | | | large. The ability of these areas to connect to the |
| One of the differences between satellite Internet | | | | Internet, at broadband speeds, is a resource only |
| access and other forms of broadband is that | | | | recently being explored. |