Editing Satellite Internet access (section)

====Portable satellite modem====
{{Update|section|date=April 2024}}
[[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}}