| The State of Satellite Internet in 2005For those | | | | systems are coming into the marketplace like the |
| businesses unable can't get T1, Cable or DSL | | | | ViaSat Surfbeam DOCSIS setup and another |
| internet service for less than half a year's Gross | | | | DOCSIS product from Telnor; however, this is |
| Profit, vsat (very small aperture terminal) satellite | | | | very new technology and certainly qualifies as |
| internet is about the only way to obtain decent | | | | "Bleeding Edge". Only three companies have the |
| internet speed. Over the last two years or so | | | | equipment to make it work right now and there |
| many companies have advertised about upcoming | | | | are bumps in the road. Surfbeam and Telnor's big |
| solutions to this issue...after all, the business | | | | promise is a better utilization of available ku |
| internet industry is huge and growing by giant | | | | bandwidth, but no field results have confirmed this |
| leaps each year and there are potential profits out | | | | yet to my knowledge.If it provides similar speeds |
| there.Let's take a look at what is currently | | | | during field testing, it will force iDirect to rethink |
| available and what is on the way:Available Ku Band | | | | modem pricing as the DOCSIS setup can be |
| Enterprise SystemsThis is a "catch all" phrase | | | | installed for about $500-$1,000 less.Wireless and |
| covering the more expensive equipment and | | | | Satellite Internet Technology On The HorizonThe |
| service offered by several large uplink comapnies. | | | | Satellite Internet world could be turned on it's |
| It is characterized by larger satellite dishes | | | | head in the coming years as WIMAX emerges. It |
| (typically 1.0 meter or larger), more powerful | | | | is a grand plan by Intel and others to cover very |
| transmitters (at least 2 watts) and less populated | | | | large areas of the world with a brand of |
| transponders than the "residential" or "small | | | | microwave technology capable of sending data |
| business" setup's available from Direcway, | | | | extremely fast to small antennas at homes and |
| Starband and Wildblue. The result is more | | | | businesses. The big difference between WIFI and |
| consistent, faster service.....what most businesses | | | | WIMAX is the distance covered by the main |
| expect.There are two general avenues you can | | | | antenna.....the claim is 15-30 miles! Talk about |
| take regarding speed and throughput: Shared or | | | | bleeding edge....many of the "Big Boys" including |
| dedicated bandwidth - and the difference in price | | | | Nokia and Cisco have abandoned plans to invest in |
| is staggering. For most business applications, | | | | it and speak of it as a bad business model to try |
| shared bandwidth (the less expensive choice) will | | | | to replace DSL. They point out that there are |
| work fine - giving a company 1.5 kbps downloads | | | | currently over 15 "standards" for the technology, |
| and 256 kbps uploads over 90% of the time for | | | | not exactly a harmoneous start!Ka band satellite |
| prices in the $400-$1500 range. The crucial | | | | internet for Enterprise has some real promise. |
| element of ANY offering is the "contention ratio" - | | | | The ability to "reuse" bandwidth, if the concept |
| how much they oversell the product or the | | | | works, will enable companies to have T1 speeds |
| number of concurrent users they allow on a | | | | or greater at any business location for much less |
| transponder. Any company that does not put the | | | | than a T1 cost. A unit of SkyTerra |
| ratio in writing is not worth doing business with - | | | | Communications - the company managing Hughes |
| period...and any company with a contention ratio | | | | Network Systems now, is working on advanced |
| above 20-1 is not offering you true Enterprise | | | | ka band spot beam technology to that end.The |
| service. With dedicated service (Guaranteed | | | | greatest challange facing the satellite internet |
| speeds) you will spend over $1,900 per month (up | | | | industry during the next 24 months is figuring out |
| to several thousand per month), but will have | | | | how to make profit.....in the absence of someone |
| service that is nearly bulletproof.The most tested | | | | finding a business model that can show consistant |
| and dependable Enterprise setup available today in | | | | profit, all of the transponder space allocated to |
| N. America is centered around a modem designed | | | | internet will quickly be redeployed to HDTV or |
| by iDirect Technologies This is a proven system | | | | other types of profitable communication....bet on it! |
| that will give you what you pay for.Other | | | | |