Satellite broadband

A satellite broadband connection is a further option if your business is located in a remote area that cannot access any other broadband Internet connection. This type of connection is available throughout the UK and requires the installation of a special satellite dish. There are two types of service.

One-way connection:With this option you would send emails or requests for information via a normal dial-up modem connection or Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) link. However, you would use a satellite to download data such as web pages and web applications. This overcomes the normal problems associated with downloading large volumes of data via a dial-up connection.

Two-way connection:The more expensive satellite services provide a two-way option for both uploading and downloading, and utilise a dedicated satellite dish to send and receive information.With both types of connection, download and upload speeds may vary, but faster speeds are increasingly becoming available. As with other broadband services, the provision of satellite broadband is very competitive, with lots of new offers and special deals, so it is certainly worth shopping around.


General considerations:The latency (the time it takes to send and receive a message) can be much higher with satellite than on terrestrial networks, thereby limiting the use of some web-based applications that rely on fast response times.In addition, although coverage is often referred to as "ubiquitous", users must have direct line of sight to the orbiting satellites, away from tall buildings or large structures. Rain clouds or even dense trees can also affect availability.