Internet via Satellite - Performance parameters

The satellite industry started out -- literally -- as rocket science. The earliest form of satellite internet was once exclusively used by disaster response teams and oil rigs out in the middle of nowhere. With satellite TVs, you saw the early adopters and their huge, yard-eating dishes. But evolving technology lead to a steep drop in prices and antenna sizes and by the time the World Wide Web came along, there were companies that grabbed this opportunity and rolled out solutions to meet every possible need.

However, unlike terrestrial connections providers, not all satellite Internet providers provide acceptable performance levels and the service plans and service levels are often misleading.

Before you decide to choose a satellite ISP partner there are a number of factors to consider. Are they technically competent? Will they be there for you 24/7? Are there real human beings I can talk to when I have a question? But no matter how friendly their Customer Care Department is, or how well trained their Technical Support team is, network performance is still what matters the most.

Will it be fast enough? Will satellite latency have any impact on the performance of my applications? How do I compare the performance claims of different satellite companies? What questions should I ask?