Phone Compatibility

Satellite Internet: Boldly Going Where No Internet Has Gone Before

Over the last decade the Internet has become inescapable. Over 80 percent of American homes have personal computers and over 57 percent have high-speed internet. People can now even take the Internet with them wherever they go, thanks to the advent of cellular phones with online capabilities.

In the everyday world, in which we work and play, you may never come across someone who has no access to the Internet. Even if the Internet isn't available at home, there are cyber cafes in most cities and towns. If not, most public libraries offer free Internet access.

Which brings the question: Do places with no access to the Internet exist?

Thanks to a technology called satellite broadband, the Internet is available in almost every corner of the world. In fact, satellite coverage extends all the way to the polar regions of the globe.

So, how does it work? It functions in a very similar fashion to satellite television. In short, computers connected to this broadband receive their signal from satellites orbiting Earth. The intent of satellite television was to bring television into the homes of people where cable wires did not reach. The goal is the same with the Internet.

Satellite technology provides Internet access to vitally important entities. A village in rural Kenya could have access to infinite information through the charitable donation of one computer and a satellite dish. Obviously, providing satellite Internet to undeveloped, needy areas can help to make great strides in global education efforts.

Satellites make information access possible in many other essential global initiatives as well. A doctor working for Doctors Without Borders in Mongolia could directly access online medical databases from his makeshift clinic. A marine biologist studying penguins in Antarctica could upload his findings to be sent back to a university lab for further analysis. Not to mention that the U.S. government, particularly the military, has been taking advantage of this kind of satellite technology for many years. The possibilities to extend the reach of the Internet are endless.

On the other hand, satellite Internet technology also affords Internet access to some less-important entities. People traveling across the country in their RVs (motor homes) can mount a dish to the roof of their unit and receive an Internet signal. The rich and famous can do the same on their luxury yachts, while navigating the high seas. The same goes for modern cruise ships. Passengers on cruises can now bring laptops and take advantage of the ship's wireless Internet.

Satellite technology also helps to provide Internet access here closer to home. Some extreme rural parts of the U.S. are not within reach of phone or cable lines. Take for example, a ranch in North Dakota that is 100 miles from the nearest town. Satellite Internet is the only way that family could ever access the Internet.