Is Satellite Internet the Future of Telecom?

Hughes signs deal to launch 100Mbps satellite Internet service in 2021 |  Ars Technica

The facts are plain. Anyone living in the world now should know that virtually everything depends on high speed internet. Internet service providers over the years have discovered various ways to serve the general public, granting them access to the internet for a fee. A very lucrative business model. But how the internet service providers do it, is a question many ask.

Either by terrestrial broadband connection– which is limited to certain areas– or satellite internet– which has  latency (lagging as it is commonly known) as its biggest challenge. Many people have spoken about either types of network connectivity and have dropped their views on sites like reviewsbird.co.uk, dropping both positive and negative reviews of broadband companies. But then, as these challenges will forever be present, improvements will also abound.

According to an article featured on Deloitte, it has been predicted that  at the end of 2020 there would be seven hundred more satellites in the end’s low-end orbit seeking to offer broadband internet. This number (700) was an increase in what was obtained in the previous year 2019, which was roughly two hundred. With more and more companies and individuals launching satellites into space with the goal of providing more satellite internet connection there are debates as to which is the way forward.

Advancement in broadband technology from 1G up to the now mainstream 4G and developmental 5G, it is clear that the over two thousand functional satellites in the earth’s orbit from the approximately eight thousand seven hundred satellites launched are serving their purposes. Though satellite internet is still plagued with problems like latency, there are still steady strides in the positive direction to combat latency and other satellite internet related problems like high cost.

What differentiates 1G from 2G up to 5G network is its latency.  Simply put, latency is the time it takes for a broadband signal to complete a full send-receive-and-back-to-sender circle. The higher the internet generation the lower the latency.

Telecom companies that provide high speed internet connectivity stand a better chance in the next generation of internet service providers. Business models will change and become better with faster internet modules.

Remote access to information as well as cloud computing technologies would be welcomed even better. The beauty of high speed satellite internet is the endless opportunities it presents.

With all these being said, is satellite internet the future of Telecom?

With  steady strides in technology, yes. Satellite internet can be the future of telecom. With the direction big name telecom companies are taking by getting licensed to launch satellites – like Amazon’s Kuiper systems- though most plans shrouded in speculations from outside sources, satellite internet and the opportunities that come with it is the way for the future.

It will be hard since most of the time companies will be fighting and competing against traditional internet service providers who may want to maintain monopoly, it will take more than fancy technology to be that future we hope to see.