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"Three satellite broadband providers, HughesNet (previously DirecWay), Starband, and WildBlue, offer broadband Internet service via satellite. But as of mid-2003 they had only 200,000 subscribers." FTC Report: Should Municipalities Provide Wireless Internet Service? p. 10 Oct 2006

"Two way service for the residential or small office user has now become commonplace. Satellite service providers, for a variety of prices, offer a variety of tiers of service from consumer-grade Internet access at speeds comparable to cable modems, to wide area networking services at speeds comparable to T-1 levels of service. Satellite provides a key advantage: the ability to reach locations out of reach of services like DSL or cable. For this reason, it is likely to be an important means of filling in the high-speed access map in the immediate future. The ability to reach where there is little or no competition has also tended to allow the service to obtain a price premium compared to cable or DSL services. Satellite data services are not an exact substitute for terrestrial data services. Today, these services are delivered via satellites in high geostationary orbits, which appear from earth not to move in the sky and allow dishes to be pointed at them. This high orbit means that an approximately half-second round-trip delay is introduced into communications. (You can observe this on the television news in the interviews via satellite of reporters in remote locations.) For many applications, such as web surfing or e-mail, this produces no noticeable effects. It may be long enough, however, to complicate such applications as remote access to a LAN. Real-time voice and video communications operating over the data service would also be noticeably degraded." Vermont Telecommunications Plan, Sept 2004 p. 1-18

Skybridge (ET Docket No. 98-206)

"In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, released November 24, 1998, we propose to permit non-geostationary satellite orbit ("NGSO") fixed-satellite service ("FSS") operations in certain segments of the Ku-band and propose rules and policies to govern such operations. We also propose or seek comment on, technical criteria to ensure that such NGSO FSS operations do not cause unacceptable interference to existing users or do not unduly constrain future growth of incumbent services. Specifically, we ask commenters to analyze the spectrum sharing criteria developed at the 1997 International Telecommunication Union ("ITU") World Radiocommunication Conference ("WRC-97") to permit NGSO FSS operations in various segments of the Ku-band, and address whether these proposals are adequate to protect existing services in the Ku-band from unacceptable interference from NGSO FSS operations. In addition, we request comment on a petition to permit terrestrial use of the 12.2-12.7 GHz band for the retransmission of local television and provision of one-way data services by direct broadcast satellite ("DBS") service operators and their affiliates. This action responds to petitions filed by SkyBridge L.L.C. ("SkyBridge") and Northpoint Technology ("Northpoint").

"On July 3, 1997, SkyBridge filed a Petition for Rulemaking requesting that the Commission amend Parts 2 and 25 of its rules to permit NGSO FSS systems to operate in the United States ("U.S.") in the 10.7-12.7 GHz band for NGSO space-to-earth links ("downlinks") (a total of 2 gigahertz) and in the 12.75-13.25 GHz, 13.75-14.5 GHz, and 17.3-17.8 GHz bands for NGSO earth-to-space links ("uplinks") (a total of 1.75 gigahertz). The requested downlink bands are generally used by geostationary-satellite orbit ("GSO") FSS, DBS and fixed services. The requested uplink bands are used by GSO FSS operations, fixed services, mobile services, and Government operations.

"On March 6, 1998, Northpoint filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the Commission aimed at providing terrestrial retransmission of local television signals and one-way data services to DBS receivers in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band on a secondary basis to BSS operations. Northpoint states that its proposal would allow DBS subscribers to receive local television programming and one-way data services with minimal additional equipment and thus would permit the DBS service to compete more fully with cable television services. Because Northpoint is requesting that its terrestrial services be permitted to operate in some of the same spectrum requested by SkyBridge, we are addressing both petitions in this proceeding. OET Hot Topics (accessed July 17, 2000)

Law

Communications Satellite Act of 1962
1988 Satellite Home Viewer Act (SHVA)
1999 Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA)
2004 modified SHVERA

History

1974 Western Union launched the satellite Westar I "Each 12 transponder satellite has a capacity of 7000 two-way voice circuits or 12 simultaneous color TV channels." [Boeing]