Using Satellite Broadband at Your Small Nonprofit

In metropolitan areas, there are many cheap broadband Internet connection options, but if you are in a rural area, or an area just outside of a major city, mounting a satellite dish can be the only cheap way to access the Internet. However, satellite broadband is still an emerging technology for delivering Internet access, and inherent problems may make satellite service unusable for your nonprofit.

Overview Of Satellite Broadband

As of the writing of this article, therewereonly two companies offering broadband satellite at reasonable rates, though each company has a number of resellers, so it can seem as though there are more players in the game. The first is Starband, a fairly new consortium of companies with backing from Microsoft, Compaq, and Radio Shack. The second, DirecPC , has offered broadband satellite service for several years now. However, until recently, their service has been half satellite and half modem.

The basic idea of this technology is rather simple. You install a satellite dish on top of your building, then attach it to a satellite modem that connects to your PC. The satellite dish communicates with a satelliteDirecPC orbiting earth 22,300 miles above the equator. This satellite manages your communication to and from the Starband or DirecPC hub, which connects to the Internet through their Internet Service Provider.

These services are slightly more expensive than other broadband options, but certainly less expensive than traditional rural Internet connections, such as fractional T1 or ISDN.

Service	Speed (Down/Up)	Hardware Cost	Installation	Per Month
Starband	Advertised (500K/150K)	$400	$200	$70
DirecPC	Advertised (400K/125K)	$400	$200	$60-$240 through the various resellers and service plans

Sharing the Connection

Sharing a satellite connection is not as simple as sharing a DSL or cable line. For those services, there are many simple and cheap routers that provide Internet access to everyone in the office. However, satellite modems come with a USB connection that makes physically connecting to these routers impossible (without voiding the warranty and monkeying with the satellite modem yourself that is...see StarBandUsers.com EtherMe!). For a list of the available options for sharing a satellite connection, Practically Networked has created this excellent article Sharing Satellite Broadband .

If your time and energy are limited, it may be best to stick with the straight Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), that allows you to use a Windows 98SE or Windows 2000/XP computer as an Internet router and give all your users access to the satellite connection via Network Address Translation (NAT). For more information about this method, check out How-to Center . ICS should be installed on a computer that is on all the time, so that people don't need to worry about whether or not someone has turned off the Internet connection.

Potential Problems

Satellite service has a number of problems that should be considered before you can decide if it's the right Internet connection method for your organization.

• First and foremost, the service is not designed for businesses. Starband goes so far as to say that it is "not recommended", and may not install in an office setting. Up until very recently the providers of satellite broadband would not support network installs, which are crucial to an office environment.
• Secondly, all of the providers monitor the service regularly and can curb speeds to keep their networks running smoothly. StarBand download speed drops significantly when you use file-sharing programs such as Napster. In addition, DirecPC may reduce your surfing speeds for up to an hour if you use too much bandwidth during a short period of time. You would need to create an office Internet Use Policy (see the TechSoup worksheet: Sample Nonprofit Acceptable Use Policy )and make sure that your users understand the problems created if they violate this policy.
• Obtaining satellite service without paying extra for a business service plan, which can run between $120-$240/month, may involve some creative talking.
• Another problem is in the basic underlying networking. Sending a signal into space and back is not the fastest way to transmit data. However, as with many technologies on the market today, it is pretty cool that it works at all. The service is slower than the other broadband options, on both upload and download speeds. The latency, which is the time it takes for data to travel from one site to another, is so large with satellite, that this service can only be used for email and web surfing, no IP phone calls, VPN's, or online gaming. There have also been reported problems with FTP-ing large files up to a site.
• The last problem is a combination of several definitive factors. First, in order to get Satellite service at all, you must have a clear unobstructed view of the southern sky. If you are able to receive the service, you may still run into problems in "severe" weather, though light to moderate storms shouldn't be a problem. Finally, satellite service is still an emerging technology. DirecPC has been around for a long time with a proven customer base, but the faster service Starband is pretty new to the game. As with any new service, system outages or support problems may occur.

The Bottom Line

If you are localed in a rural area and have no option for a broadband Internet connection, satellite is the way to go. However, if you need to do more than send email or surf the Web, than you are better off looking elsewhere.

Additional Resources

• For more information on what you can and can't do with Starband, visit the Starband UsersarticleStarband users page .
• For more information on satellite broadband in general, you can check out:
  • PC World Article: Broadband From Above: Satellite Services Beam High-Speed Access Anywhere
  • PC Magazine/ZDNet Broadband Special Report: Satellite
  • About.com Satellite Providers: Online Business / Hosting

Satellite Broadband Providers

• DirecPC
  • Earthlink
  • DirecTV
  • American Satellite 888-999-7331
  • Infodish 1-800-950-6303
  • Best Buy
  • Circuit City
  • Office Depot

• Starband:
  • Radio Shack Stores