This
paper explains that the advantage of
satellite technology over direct wire transmission is obvious:
Satellites can transmit data at light speed anywhere on the planet without impractical and costly wiring. The author writes about three general types of satellites, classified by the
type of
orbit they follow: (1) Geosynchronous orbit, GEO, in which the satellite's orbit is synchronized with the rotation of the
earth; (2) Medium earth orbit, MEO, which gets closer to the earth because it utilizes an elliptical orbit, and (3) Low earth orbit, LEO, the most recent type of satellite, which are located approximately 450 miles above the surface of the Earth, and can be used for portable phones with smaller antennas. The paper relates that the attributes of satellite systems make them valuable for varying
internet applications, but the primary difficulty now is congestion and associated delays; however, when LEO satellites become more abundant and dependable, it is probable that the amount of internet traffic, which LEO satellites can handle, will increase.