A satellite Internet connection is an arrangement in which
the upstream (outgoing) and the downstream (incoming) data are sent from,
and arrive at, a computer through a satellite. Each subscriber's hardware
includes a satellite dish antenna and a transceiver (transmitter/receiver)
that operates in the microwave portion of the radio spectrum.
In a two-way satellite Internet connection, the upstream data is usually
sent at a slower speed than the downstream data arrives. Thus, the connection
is asymmetric. A dish antenna, measuring about two feet high by three feet
wide by three feet deep, transmits and receives signals. Uplink speeds are
nominally 50 to 150 Kbps for a subscriber using a single computer. The downlink
occurs at speeds ranging from about 150 Kbps to more than 1200 Kbps, depending
on factors such as Internet traffic, the capacity of the server, and the
sizes of downloaded files.
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