Once an Internet Underdog, Satellite Is Having a Moment

Commercial satellite Internet has only been around for about 20 years, and it was highly limited at first. Despite the technology’s weaknesses, such as low speeds and data limits, satellite offered a path to improved connectivity for rural markets that had no other options. The capacity of satellite Internet will significantly increase when HughesNet and Viasat launch new satellites in 2021.

Then there’s the other type of commercial satellite technology with which Amazon and SpaceX plan to provide service. HughesNet and Viasat use geosynchronous satellites, which are located about 22,000 miles above the equator and match the rotation of the planet, meaning that they appear to be in a fixed position and only require line of sight for a connection. Amazon and SpaceX will use low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that zip around the planet more quickly at lower heights, meaning that tens of thousands of LEO satellites are needed to maintain Internet connections on the ground. 

The advantage of LEO satellites is that they can bring reduced latency, which would be ideal for gaming and stock trading. One drawback of LEO satellites is that they need to be replaced more often than geosynchronous satellites. The jury is still out on the speeds that will be achieved by LEO satellites. Although the satellite Internet market continues to grow, there are still unknowns about its potential.