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Many countries resort to cutting off the Internet and imposing restrictions on its use to pressure their opponents, and to limit the spread of information in wars and crises. This is what Israel resorted to when it cut off the Internet and communications from the entire Gaza Strip on the night of October 27, 2023, and launched raids and ground operations in sector to pursue the Palestinian resistance there.
To get out of the grip of authoritarian control practiced by some governments, which the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights described as a “digital dictatorship,” the “satellite Internet” is seen as one of the best solutions to overcome such crises.
Satellite Internet contributed to shedding light on the Russian war on Ukraine and following its developments after Moscow cut off the Internet in several regions of Ukraine, as “Starlink” provided Internet services to Ukrainians. What is “satellite Internet”?
Ancient history since the advent of the “Web”
The emergence of satellite Internet is linked to the emergence of the Internet and the Web in general. But the development of this technology did not receive the same attention compared to other traditional networks, and it remained limited to some few experiments until the 1990s.
During that period, TeleDesk emerged as one of the pioneers of this technology, and launched a project to place hundreds of satellites in low orbits to secure Internet connectivity. However, its project failed in 2003 due to its high cost, which was the same fate that other companies, such as Iridium, faced. Global Star and ICO.
Because of the enormous cost of this dream, satellite Internet technology was delayed until 2014, and after the tremendous development witnessed by the Internet around the world, interest gradually began to return to the project, and it was led by companies such as “SpaceX,” “OneWeb,” and “Amazon,” which are developing this technology. The technology is used periodically by sending satellites into low orbits close to the Earth.
Starlink, a subsidiary of the SpaceX group, is considered the most prominent and pioneering company in providing and developing satellite Internet, as it tries to provide it in all countries, and seeks to reduce the cost of the service to a minimum, and raise its speed to what may exceed the speed of terrestrial Internet.
Global coverage
Satellite Internet is broadcast from satellites in space, and provides global coverage, allowing connection to the Internet from any location on the Earth, even if terrestrial Internet is not available, and without the need for complex ground equipment.
The satellite Internet system consists of several parts:
- The satellite.
- Ground stations serve as gateways for transferring data to and from satellites.
- An antenna equipped with a transmitter and receiver for the user, and there are modern technologies for which a computer or mobile phone connected to a “router” is sufficient.
How does satellite Internet work?
In normal cases, telecommunications companies licensed in the country are the primary source of the Internet in their regions. This is done by providing these companies with basic lines via international “cables” that pass through government ports. Regardless of the Internet provider, countries are usually able to impose “censorship and control” of all services that they provide. Provided by these companies.
But in the case of satellite Internet, the Internet reaches the user immediately from the global Internet via satellites without passing through government control, and without the need for any “cables” or connections.
Types of satellite Internet
Two-way communication: It requires a lot of equipment, so it is somewhat expensive, and is done by sending and receiving data via satellite to a coaxial communications port (satellite transmission).
One-way communication: It is most suitable for remote areas, and it receives data via satellite and does not need to be retransmitted to it, but rather via a terrestrial transmission (modem or telephone).
Unidirectional broadcast: It does not provide a full connection to the Internet and does not provide the ability to control the received data, and it is similar to the television and radio operating system.
Solutions and obstacles
Although satellite Internet may be considered the ideal solution to confront the Internet shutdown crisis, its cost is very high. Starlink, the leading company in this field, provides this service for about 600 US dollars to provide a dish and a router to connect to satellites, in addition to a monthly fee estimated at 110 US dollars. Dollart.
Satellite Internet is greatly affected by weather conditions and physical obstacles that may hinder transmission and reception, such as trees and buildings. Because Internet signals travel long distances without wires and cables, they sometimes arrive at a relatively slower speed than the speed provided by traditional technology.
