Fighting the Bandwidth Crunch - Sustainable Wireless Communications through Satellite Internet
The economy of scale offered by communications satellite operators translates into millions of cost savings on the part of backhaul service providers and telecom firms.
Who wants to return to the days when satellite communication was only reserved for enterprise users and cruise ship owners? The wireless communications sector has witnessed enormous changes during the past years which paved the way for faster connection and more scalable networks. These developments can be partly attributed to rise in mobile computing via advanced smartphones and tablet PCs.
As a result of the boom in bandwidth-consuming activities like social media updates and online video streaming,
the telecommunications sector is beginning to adopt satellite backhaul. There is also a looming shift to vertical integration of the satellite industry as operators and resellers venture into each others' market niches. Commercial satellites are getting more attention from government sector not only as a result of restraints on military budget for satellite communications but due to economic reasons as well.
As more people browse social media sites and access online services via mobile gadgets, ISPs and wireless phone carriers need to expand their capacity by seeking alternative means of signal transmission. Although satellite broadband lags behind DSL and traditional wireless Internet technologies like Edge and WiMax, satellite broadband offers the most cost-efficient means to bring high-speed broadband connection in the absence of telephone lines or fiber optics.
Both the public and private sectors have played a crucial role in commercializing satellite communications for the household market. EU, the US and Australia have recently tapped on satellite networks to strengthen national broadband infrastructures amid the explosive growth in mobile Internet usage. Roaming service providers serving cellular phone providers have also good reasons for getting satellite payload on commercial satellites. The economy of scale offered by communications satellite operators translates into millions of cost savings on the part of backhaul service providers and telecom firms. With satellite links, hosted payload and VSAT networks, telcos do not have to lay down huge fiber optic networks just to serve marginalized areas.
Satellite dishes have mushroomed in various towns and villages covered by broadband subsidy programs. For instance, many rural residences in the US and Australia are able to get high-speed broadband connection for the first time through federal subsidies. But the growth of the satellite communications industry can also be attributed to improvements in the efficiency of satellite-powered backhaul networks. Cellular hub operators are becoming more open in embracing satellite technology to expand their coverage.
Almost $100 million was earmarked for broadband projects by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Last year, Australia rolled out its national broadband project which seeks to extend wired and wireless Internet coverage to millions of rural and urban households nationwide.
