Why Satellite Connectivity
Satellite network services are available virtually anywhere, and provide a wireless, physically diverse last mile connection path which is absolutely critical for 100% uptime and disaster recovery applications. Satellite networks are also the preferred delivery method for true multicast data distribution, and are available in narrowband or broadband (T1+ speeds) configurations.
Where VSAT Does and Doesn't Work Best
VSAT is used for many applications including Internet/intranet access, E-mail and messaging, VoIP, store polling and inventory updates, distance learning, video surveillance, In-store music and messaging, digital signage, credit processing, and network backup.
VSAT may not be the best choice in situations involving very latency-sensitive applications. Even at the speed of light, it takes about 1/4 second to make the trip to the satellite and back. Nearly all of our customers report no problems with performance of their applications (and Spacenet can help tune customer networks or even rework applications to be more satellite-friendly), but certain "chatty" applications like NTLM authentication or ultra-latency-sensitive uses like online action games may not run adequately over satellite. If you have questions about whether key applications would work well with satellite, contact us for a consultation or even pilot testing of your network over VSAT.
Similarly, certain encryption technologies are not compatible out-of-the-box with VSAT acceleration technologies. Although Spacenet has solutions for many of these technologies (VPN, SSL, etc.), they do require special setup, and are not guaranteed to be compatible with all vendor implementations.
While the price/performance equation of VSAT services have improved dramatically over the past several years (you may be surprised how affordable business-grade VSAT is today), it is still not at the same level of absolute low costs as consumer-grade DSL or cable modem services. Spacenet Connexstar services are priced very competitively with other business-grade solutions, but customers should not expect the same pricing as your local phone company or cable operator offers for residential-grade broadband with no equipment costs. Contact us to find out more about pricing for our business-grade services.
VSAT Technology
A Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a device that is used to communicate
by bouncing signals off a satellite in geosynchronous (stationary) orbit
above the earth. "VSAT terminals" are the satellite modem/router and small
(generally between .75 meter and 1.2 meters) dishes that operate at a
customer's location. "VSAT hubs" are the large (often 9 meters or larger)
dishes and sophisticated network control/send and receive equipment that
the network provider operates for the terminals to communicate with.
Satellite networks send and receive data via high-frequency radio waves bounced off a satellite in orbit, providing a single continent-wide wireless last-mile solution. VSAT networks are designed in a hub-and-spoke fashion, with customer locations connecting directly over the air to a central hub facility. The equipment at a customer site is a VSAT receiver/router (similar to a DSL or cable modem), attached to a small dish mounted on top of or outside the building. At the central hub facility, a large dish and sophisticated hub RF components receive and transmit to the remote sites, and route information to and from the Internet or private networks via leased line links.
VSAT networks can be used for Internet access, or they can be connected from the hub facility directly to a corporate data center or application provider such as a credit card authorization provider. VSAT networks may have anywhere from one to tens of thousands of remote VSATs communicating with a single hub.
Key strengths of Spacenet VSAT satellite networks include:
- Available nearly anywhere - Rather than relying on the presence of telephone/cable infrastructure for the "last mile," VSAT networks use wireless links to satellites in geosynchronous orbit over the equator. Therefore, they can get broadband access from essentially anywhere that there is a view of the Southern sky - from cities to mountaintops.
- Business-grade service with SLAs - Spacenet's Connexstar services deliver uptime (guaranteed with SLAs) and throughput similar to SDSL or Frame Relay circuits, for prices competitive with SDSL and much less than Frame Relay.
- Unbeatable multicast support - Need to get the same data to tens, hundreds or thousands of locations simultaneously without straining your network? The DVB outbound of Spacenet's services is native-multicast medium, making it the perfect solution for distributing data, files, video and more with electronic delivery receipts and immediate distribution.
- Service on the go - Spacenet offers portable VSAT solutions that can be mounted on vehicles or deployed rapidly in fixed locations, then packed up when you move on. Retailers or other businesses with location turnover can take their VSAT service from one location and have it installed at another when needed.
- Uniform service levels - Unlike DSL (where the speeds/services available are based on infrastructure and distance from your telco Central Office), VSAT offers the ability to deliver the exact same speed/service level to every single one of your locations - even internationally!
- Centralized network management - Because of the hub-and-spoke architecture of VSAT networks, Spacenet can control the entire network from one of its redundant earth station locations. This means that we can provide firewalling, virus scanning, intrusion detection, network management and more for an entire customer network in a completely centralized fashion.
- Amazing scalability - Spacenet VSAT networks scale easily from a single site to more than 10,000 locations.
