How Does Satellite Internet Work?

HOW DOES SATELLITE INTERNET WORK? There are a lot of zips and zaps that take place to bring the Web from us to you, in a flash. By traveling through space at speeds once reserved for science fiction, satellite signals using HughesNet Gen4 technology allow Web users even in the most remote outposts to enjoy the brilliance of broadband. But how does it all happen? No lines, no cables - 10 times faster than a modem It all starts at home - when you type a URL into your browser bar. This sends a request to the EchoStar satellite orbiting the earth. FACT: The EchoStar satellite remains in a geosynchronous orbit - which means it stays in the same location above the earth, by matching the earth's period of rotation. The EchoStar satellite then beams a signal to the Hughes Network Operations Center (NOC), to find the Website you've requested . 2 FACT: The main Hughes NOC is in Germantown, Maryland, and serves customers outside the U.S. with centers in Griesheim, Germany; Gurgaon, India; and São Paolo, Brazil. The Website then sends a signal back to the NOC . FACT: ww www The NOC control room monitors real-time data . for customers from the Arctic Circle to Honduras. 4 The NOC beams the signal to the EchoStar satellite . FACT: EchoStar XVII had a companion satellite on its launch journey aboard an Ariane 5ECA carrier rocket - the MSG-3 weather satellite. Both launched successfully into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. EchoStar XVII used its own propulsion system to achieve a geostationary orbit of earth at 107.1 degrees West. The EchoStar satellite finally sends the data to your dish at home, and onto your Web-enabled device. 5 FACT: Satellites orbit over the equator, so a clear view of the southern sky is crucial placement of your satellite dish. EchoStar XVII: Inside the numbers Launch: July 2012 Weight: 13,000 pounds A Geostationary orbit: 22,300 miles above earth SOURCES: Echostar.com Hughes.com Just a Second, Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children)