How does satellite internet work?

Rwanda launched its satelite internet on Wednesday to help schools in rural areas access internet. Let us look at how satelite internet works.

Satellite internet uses geostationary satellites, rather than telephone lines or cable systems, to deliver an internet signal directly to homes and other buildings.

Geostationary means the satellite remains in a fixed position relative to a point on the Earth by matching its rotation velocity as the satellite orbits the planet.

The satellite provides two-way data communications between a satellite dish mounted on the exterior of a building and the hub of satellite internet provider.

When you access a webpage, the request is sent from your computer to the satellite.

The satellite then transmits the signal to your satellite internet service’s hub, where the specific website you have requested is located and beamed back to the satellite.

The data is then sent to your dish and the site loads on your computer through a modem connected to the dish.

While the internet signal travels a staggering distance back and forth, it only takes a handful of seconds for this entire process to occur.

With satellite internet, you can connect all the computers and internet-enabled devices in homes or offices to the web.