Editing Satellite Internet access (section)

==Two-way satellite-only communication==
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[[File:WildBlueSatelliteModemBack.JPG|thumbnail|The back panel of a [[satellite modem]], with coaxial connections for both incoming and outgoing signals, and an [[Ethernet]] port for connection ]]

Home or consumer grade two-way satellite Internet service involves both sending and receiving data from a remote [[very-small-aperture terminal]] (VSAT) via satellite to a hub [[Earth station#Telecommunications port|telecommunications port]] (teleport), which then relays data via the terrestrial Internet. The satellite dish at each location must be precisely pointed to avoid interference with other satellites. At each VSAT site the uplink frequency, bit rate and power must be accurately set, under control of the service provider hub.

There are several types of two-way satellite Internet services, including [[time-division multiple access]] (TDMA) and [[single channel per carrier]] (SCPC). Two-way systems can be simple [[VSAT]] terminals with a 60–100&nbsp;cm dish and output power of only a few watts intended for consumers and small business or larger systems that provide more bandwidth. Such systems are frequently marketed as "satellite broadband" and can cost two to three times as much per month as land-based systems such as [[ADSL]]. The [[satellite modem|modems]] required for this service are often proprietary, but some are compatible with several different providers. They are also expensive, costing in the range of US$600 to $2000.

[[File:ASTRA2Connect LNB.jpg|thumb|left|The two-way "iLNB" used on the [[SES Broadband]].]]
The two-way "iLNB" used on the [[SES Broadband]] terminal dish has a transmitter and single-polarity receive LNB, both operating in the {{Ku band}}. Pricing for SES Broadband modems range from €299 to €350. These types of system are generally unsuitable for use on moving vehicles, although some dishes may be fitted to an automatic pan and tilt mechanism to continuously re-align the dish—but these are more expensive. The technology for SES Broadband was delivered by a Belgian company called Newtec.

===Bandwidth===
Consumer satellite Internet customers range from individual home users with one PC to large remote business sites with several hundred PCs.

Home users tend to use shared satellite capacity to reduce the cost, while still allowing high peak bit rates when congestion is absent. There are usually restrictive time-based bandwidth allowances so that each user gets their fair share, according to their payment. When a user exceeds their allowance, the company may slow down their access, deprioritise their traffic or charge for the excess bandwidth used. For consumer satellite Internet, the allowance can typically range from 200&nbsp;[[Megabyte|MB]] per day to 25&nbsp;[[Gigabyte|GB]] per month.<ref name="hughesnet-fap-faq">{{Cite web|url=http://consumer.hughesnet.com/faq/fair-access-policy.cfm|title=High Speed Internet Connection at Home – HughesNet|date=July 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728171955/http://consumer.hughesnet.com/faq/fair-access-policy.cfm |archive-date=28 July 2009 }}</ref><ref name="wildblue">{{cite web|title=WildBlue: High Speed Satellite Internet Provider |work=Official web site |url=http://get.wildblue.com/pricing.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818171337/http://get.wildblue.com/pricing.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 18, 2009 |access-date=July 17, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="wildblue_exede">{{cite web |title= Exede: High Speed Satellite Internet Provider |work= Official web site |url= http://www.exede.com/internet-packages-pricing |access-date= December 11, 2012 }}</ref> A shared download carrier may have a bit rate of 1 to 40&nbsp;Mbit/s and be shared by up to 100 to 4,000 end users.

The uplink direction for shared user customers is normally [[time-division multiple access]] (TDMA), which involves transmitting occasional short packet bursts in between other users (similar to how a cellular phone shares a cell tower).

Each remote location may also be equipped with a telephone modem; the connections for this are as with a conventional dial-up ISP. Two-way satellite systems may sometimes use the modem channel in both directions for data where latency is more important than bandwidth, reserving the satellite channel for download data where bandwidth is more important than latency, such as for [[file transfer]]s.

In 2006, the [[European Commission]] sponsored the [[UNIC Project]] which aimed to develop an end-to-end scientific test bed for the distribution of new broadband interactive TV-centric services delivered over low-cost two-way satellite to actual end-users in the home.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 9, 2008|title=Universal satellite home connection {{!}} UNIC Project|url=https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/027034|access-date=June 20, 2020|website=CORDIS {{!}} European Commission|publisher=EU Publications Office}}</ref> The UNIC architecture employs [[DVB-S2]] standard for downlink and [[DVB-RCS]] standard for uplink.

Normal VSAT dishes (1.2 to 2.4&nbsp;m diameter) are widely used for VoIP phone services. A voice call is sent by means of packets via the satellite and Internet. Using coding and compression techniques the bit rate needed per call is only 10.8&nbsp;kbit/s each way.

===Portable satellite Internet===
====Portable satellite modem====
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[[File:Portable Satellite Internet Modem and Antenna.jpg|thumb|Portable Satellite Internet Modem and Antenna deployed with the [[Emergency Response Unit (IFRC)|Red Cross]] in [[South Sudan]] in 2014.]]

These usually come in the shape of a self-contained flat rectangular box that needs to be pointed in the general direction of the satellite—unlike VSAT the alignment need not be very precise and the modems have built in signal strength meters to help the user align the device properly. The modems have commonly used connectors such as  [[Ethernet]] or [[Universal Serial Bus]] (USB). Some also have an integrated [[Bluetooth]] transceiver and double as a satellite phone. The modems also tend to have their own batteries so they can be connected to a [[laptop]] without draining its battery. The most common such system is [[INMARSAT]]'s [[BGAN]]—these terminals are about the size of a [[briefcase]] and have near-symmetric connection speeds of around 350 to 500&nbsp;kbit/s. Smaller modems exist like those offered by [[Thuraya]] but only connect at 444&nbsp;kbit/s in a limited coverage area.

At $5 to $7 per megabyte on average, portable satellite internet is typically more expensive than other modes of Internet access, with modems usually costing between $1,000 and $5,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gmpcs-us.com/inmarsatbgan.htm |title=Inmarsat BGAN |publisher=GMPCS |access-date=2013-08-29}}</ref> Due to this, it is most often used on vehicles without access to other modes of Internet access, such as seafaring vessels.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

====Internet via satellite phone====
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For many years{{When|date=July 2011}} [[satellite phone]]s have been able to connect to the Internet. Bandwidth varies from about 2400 [[bit/s]] for [[Iridium Satellite LLC|Iridium network satellites]] and [[ACeS]] based phones to 15&nbsp;kbit/s [[upstream (networking)|upstream]] and 60&nbsp;kbit/s [[downstream (networking)|downstream]] for [[Thuraya]] handsets. Globalstar also provides Internet access at 9.6&nbsp;kbit/s; like Iridium and ACeS a [[dial-up]] connection is required and is billed per minute, however both [[Globalstar]] and Iridium are planning to launch new satellites offering always-on data services at higher rates. With Thuraya phones the 9.6&nbsp;kbit/s dial-up connection is also possible, the 60&nbsp;kbit/s service is always-on and the user is billed for data transferred (about $5 per [[megabyte]]). The phones can be connected to a laptop or other computer using a USB or [[RS-232]] interface. Due to the low bandwidths involved it is extremely slow to browse the web with such a connection, but useful for sending email, [[Secure Shell]] data and using other low-bandwidth protocols. Since satellite phones tend to have [[omnidirectional antenna]]s no alignment is required as long as there is a line of sight between the phone and the satellite.