A new report from the OECD has highlighted how a number of new developments could help to make Satellite broadband a more viable connectivity solution for bringing high speed internet access to remote rural parts of the UK and various other countries around the world. But it’s by no means perfect.
Most people should already know that Satellites are essentially small autonomous space stations, which are launched into orbit around the Earth by a rocket and used to relay information around the world via wireless signals. The height (orbit) of such spacecraft affords them exceptional coverage, often reaching over entire countries or even continents, which make them handy for covering isolated locations.
Customers in the United Kingdom typically pay from around £30 per month for a 20-30Mbps capable service, although the one-off setup costs (hardware and installation) can reach into the eye watering territory of £500-£600; various subsidy schemes have been setup by local councils and the Governments to help cover this part of the cost.
In theory all of this should mean that Satellite as an ideal solution for improving broadband connectivity. Indeed even the Government and BT’s own proposal for a 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) suggests that around 0.3% of premises (the most remote rural areas) would have to be catered for via a Satellite solution (here), not least because the cost of running a more traditional terrestrial network would be too high.