| kitler53 said: (CNN) -- Japan launched a rocket Saturday carrying a satellite that will test new technology that promises to deliver "super high-speed Internet" service to homes and businesses around the world.  A rocket carrying a super-fast Internet satellite lifts off from its launch pad on the Japanese island of Tanagashima.
The rocket carrying the WINDS satellite -- a joint project of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries -- lifted off its pad at 5:55 p.m. (0855 GMT). If the technology proves successful, subscribers with small dishes will connect to the Internet at speeds many times faster than what is now available over residential cable or DSL services. The Associated Press said the satellite would offer speeds of up to 1.2 gigabytes per second. The service initially would focus on the Asia-Pacific region close to Japan, a JAXA news release said. "Among other uses, this will make possible great advances in telemedicine, which will bring high-quality medical treatment to remote areas, and in distance education, connecting students and teachers separated by great distances," JAXA said. The rocket was launched from Japan's Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center. source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/23/japan.satellite/index.html?iref=mpstoryview ------ holy crap that's fast internet. streaming HD video here we come!!! |
First of all, gigabytes is not a valid internet speed. Internet speed is measured in bits per second, not bytes. 1.2 gigabytes would not even possible for the most expensive business internet connections, such as OC3 and better. 1.2 gigabytes is equal to 9.6 gigabits per second, which would be the most insane speed ever, especially considering that the most current routers/switches/NICs can handle is 1 gigabit per second (which it can only achieve between devices that support 1 gigabit, not the internet). The current fastest speed available for home users that is actually affordable by non-millionaires is 20-40 megabits per second in some countries, and only about 8 megabits in the U.S.. Plus, as others have already mentioned, satellite internet is HORRIBLE for gaming, even with the lowest orbiting satellites. This is due to the terrible latency that occurs from the data that has to travel so far back and forth to the satellite. On wired connections the data travels short distances between devices that keep the speed up and mostly constant, depending on the route it has to take.
On a satellite connection the signal must travel from your computer to the satellite, then back down to the satellite uplink station, and then through traditional routing. This adds a lot of travel time, much of which is through the air where the connection is slow and has nothing to speed it up or keep it constant. The big breakthrough in the U.S. will have nothing to do with the digital switchover. That deals with television signals that are sent through the air and through cable and satellite providers. Internet is completely different and will only increase when the phone companies and cable companies increase the amount of fiber optics that go to homes and stations that are close enough to those homes. Internet is not available in many rural areas simply because the ISPs have not built stations close enough to those areas to support the signals. Data can only travel through wires a short distance before the signal degrades into unreadable gibberish. You have to have hardware to boost the signal and keep it strong.
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