The new 1-Terabit internet satellites of ViaSat will boost remote access to the internet
Satellite company ViaSat announced that it is partnering with Boeing to build and deliver three new satellites that will provide Internet to remote areas around the world. The announcement comes just months before the company launches the ViaSat-2 satellite on an upcoming SpaceX rocket launch.
However, the new plan will include the launch of the ViaSat-3 satellite, which will provide a total network capacity of 1 Tbps (Terabit per second), about three times what ViaSat-2 offered. In other words, ViaSat will be able to provide 100 Mbps data transmission speeds to remote populated areas in Asia, Africa, America, Europe, and the Middle East.
According to the company, work on two of the three satellites has already begun, and Boeing is already preparing them for launchby the end of 2019. The first two satellites cover the Americas and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and the third will serve Asia.
ViaSat says that the new satellites will be able to increase in‑flight connectivity for commercial airlines, business‑class jets, and government aircraft, besides being useful for home connections. They will also be able to offer 1 Gbps connections “to maritime, oceanic and other corporate business applications such as oil and natural gas platforms.” Currently, there are about 400 commercial communications satellites in orbit around the Earth. The company claims that the three new satellites could deliver twice (or more) the total network capacity.
ViaSat isn't the only company working on offering internet connectivity via satellite. Companies like Google and Facebook are also working on using devices like solar-powered drones and weather balloons to provide internet to remote areas. Similarly, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic are working on offering connectivity using a small group of satellites.
