[ILUG] Re: ADSL Connection bandwidth Tests

[Sean Edwards]

Currently, there are at least 14 satellite ISP's in the USA.  The leader,
DirecPC, started offering their 2 way satellite service (no land line
required) last autumn.  Bill Gates has even got into the two-way satellite
market, offering a pilot service on the American West Coast, but I do not
know the name of this company.

I would like to think Sky Digital offers two-way satellite access ISP, but
it appears the real challenge is getting them to admit the service even
exists.

-=Sean Edwards=-
sedwards at integrated-training.com

-----Original Message-----
From: bscanlan at irish-times.com [mailto:bscanlan at irish-times.com]
Sent: 28 May 2001 20:37
To: ilug at linux.ie
Subject: Re: [ILUG] Re: ADSL Connection bandwidth Tests


On Mon, May 28, 2001 at 08:26:18PM +0100, Ruairi Newman wrote:
> Okay, now to the real reason I mailed the list:   I recently got Sky
Digital
> installed, and was asked by the guy installing it if I would consider
paying
> for an always on internet connection from Sky, and how much I would pay.
> If they do go ahead with this, they'd have the jump on every ISP in the
> country.
>
> The guy couldn't tell me whether or not they had any actual plans to do
> this.  Has anyone else heard anything?  There's nothing on their website.

Satellite ISPs use land lines for outgoing TCP traffic and the relatively
high latency digital feed from the satellite for all your incoming traffic.

Which is good for downloading large files and all, but not exactly a real
always on high speed internet connection - AFAIK it'll be always on, but
you'll still need to dial in over land lines to use it, and that's charged
at your normal ISP phone rates.

Brian.
--
Brian Scanlan, Systems Administrator.
Irish Times New Media - http://www.ireland.com