Speed

If T-1, cable modem or DSL service are not available in your location, it is most likely that satellite will be the fastest connection available. With advances in satellite technology, upload speeds up to 2 Mbps and download speeds up to 4 Mbps are possible.

But, most ISP’s are notorious for advertising ‘up-to’ speeds which are rarely ever reached. Bandwidth on satellites or space segment is an expensive and limited commodity. So what do most satellite ISP’s do? Oversubscribe their networks. When the traffic is low during off-peak hours, contention does not pose a problem. However, the quality of the connection can significantly deteriorate during peak hours in oversubscribed networks.

How do Committed Information rates help?

In the satellite Internet world, CIRs ensure a minimum connection speeds at all times. With CIRs, the customers can be guaranteed to receive at least 110% of the CIR speed at least 90% of the time. CIRs, business grade equipment and managed networks are key to providing true broadband speeds.

Here’s a comparison of the upload speeds and availability that you get for T-1, Cable, DSL, typical satellite, VSAT Systems satellite and Dial Up.