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Internet via Satellite Signal Latency

What is satellite signal latency?
Latency is typically measured in milliseconds. Latency is the amount of time taken for a response to return from a request and is measured in milliseconds. 1000 milliseconds (ms) is equal to 1 second. The amount of time taken by a packet of data to move across a network connection, be it internet over satellite or otherwise is its latency.

With internet access via satellite, there is latent time when the computer that sends whatever data, waits for signal confirmation that the packet of data has been received. As the packet is stored, analyzed and then forwarded a slight momentarily delay occurs. Latency and bandwidth are the two critical factors that determine your network connection speed.

Moore's Law of Internet Latency states that:
"As long as Internet users do not pay for the absolute (integrated over time) amount of data bandwidth, which they consume (bytes per month), Internet service quality (latency) will continue to be variable and often poor." (http://www.tinyvital.com/Misc/Latency.htm)

Compared to ground-based communication, all geostationary satellite communications experience high latency due to the signal having to time travel 35,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) out into space to a satellite in geostationary orbit and back to Earth again. The radio wave transmission from your computer to the satellite and back again to earth takes time.

Ping Rates

Ping times on ground based DSL or Cable Internet are in the 50 to 100 ms category. Using satellite will add 500ms or thereabouts to the ping time.

Measuring Pings

A ping test will send 4 packets of information to a destination of your choosing. Ping time refers to how long it took for that information to reach the destination. The time for each of the packets is averaged together and a ping time will be given in milliseconds.

About Wild blue Satellite Internet Service

WildBlue's always-on broadband Internet connection provides a user experience similar to most DSL services. They offer download speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps, which can be up to 30 times faster than today's dial-up speeds for file transfers. Upload speeds approach 256 Kbps. WildBlue's high bandwidth is largely unavailable through dial-up modems.

How does Wild Blue Satellite Internet Service deal with Latency?

The WildBlue system is engineered to help offset the impact of latency, which is the delay caused by sending signals from the earth to the satellite and back again. However, there is a delay as the signal travels up to the satellite, back down to the gateway, up to the satellite and back down to your modem. For most applications this latency does not affect performance. With applications like voice over IP (telephone service delivered over the Internet, also known as VoIP) you will find a noticeable lag, usually at the beginning of a conversation Real-time interactive gaming, where latency will have a noticeable effect on performance as it would on any satellite-delivered service.

To demonstrate this, notice how on FOX or CNN when they do interviews with someone overseas, there is a noticable time lag in conversation. You hear a pause after the anchor asks a question before you see the recipient acknowledge the question and reply.

But for most users, Satellite Internet are an excellent replacement for dial up. For Internet use, email, software applications and everyday tasks, the increased speed is amazing and opens up a whole new world.