Skip to main content

FCC approves OneWeb's low-latency internet satellite network for remote areas

oneweb high speed internet satellite
OneWeb
Extending internet access to remote regions of the planet can be difficult and costly, particularly when considering laying down cable and fiber. Wireless connectivity can make a great deal of sense, but not all areas are served by cellular carriers.

Using satellites can provide another solution that can reach virtually any area without the need for expensive terrestrial physical infrastructure, but the usual satellites are so far up that latency becomes an issue. Now, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a plan by OneWeb to put satellites closer than ever to the Earth’s surface, which will result in much faster communications, Ars Technica reports.

Related Videos

Normally, the satellites used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide broadband connectivity orbit the planet at about 35,400 kilometers. That is a fair distance away and because the signals travel at a fast but nevertheless fixed rate of speed — specifically, at the speed of light — there is pesky lag. The latency between when, say, a request for a web page leaves a user’s browser, travels to the satellite, back down to the Earth-based site, and then all the way back to the user’s PC is 600ms or greater.

OneWeb’s non-geostationary satellites, however, will be much closer to Earth, at a distance of about 1,200km. The signals, therefore, have significantly less latency, coming in at around 30ms. That is only a bit slower than the typical ground-based internet connection. And, OneWeb’s technology would provide about 50 Mbps of bandwidth, not as high as today’s gigabit connections but still quite usable.

Now that the FCC has approved OneWeb’s plan, the rollout will begin as soon as early 2018. Airbus has been tapped to build the satellites, which will total 720 low-Earth orbit models that will reach areas across the U.S., including areas in Alaska that have never been able to receive broadband connectivity in the past.

OneWeb is not alone in its goals of building out such a satellite network. SpaceX is an example of a company that also plans to attack the issue of providing high-speed internet connectivity to hard-to-reach locations. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is all for such networks, saying:

“We hope to approve many more constellations because we know that the more companies compete, the more consumers win. Additionally, the commission also has an ongoing rulemaking proceeding proposing to update the current NGSO Fixed Satellite Service rules to better accommodate this next generation of systems.”

That means that the FCC will be happy to approve the new technology, but it will also be keeping everyone’s interests in mind as it does so. In any event, the days of living too remotely to enjoy your internet fix might be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Editors' Recommendations

Apple’s Reality Pro headset just got demoed in a secret ceremony
A rendering of four Apple mixed-reality headsets (Reality Pro) in various colors sitting on a surface.

Apple’s mysterious Reality Pro headset just hit a major milestone last week when it was demonstrated in a large-scale ceremony to around 100 of the company’s top executives. That’s encouraging, as showing it off to so many high-ranking employees suggests the device is almost ready for launch.

The revelation comes from Mark Gurman’s weekly Power On newsletter, wherein the Bloomberg journalist explained that the event marks a notable turning point in the mixed-reality headset’s development ahead of its anticipated launch at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

Read more
This Lenovo laptop with 128GB RAM is over $5500 off, and that’s no joke
this lenovo laptop with 128gb ram is over 5500 off deal thinkpad p16 feature

If you're looking for one of the most high-end laptop deals around, Lenovo continues to knock things out of the park with a deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Mobile Workstation. As with all Lenovo laptop deals, it's been given a fairly hefty estimated value price by Lenovo of $9,649 but given the spec, that could be possible here. Right now, the laptop is discounted by a huge $5,564 so it's down to $4,085. That's no impulse buy price but if you're looking for a supremely powerful laptop, it could be worth the investment. Intrigued? Let's take a look at what it offers.

Why you should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Mobile Workstation
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Mobile Workstation is high-end stuff. In many cases, it's probably going to be overkill if you simply want a laptop to complete basic tasks on. If you need a powerhouse of a system, regular edit videos, or simply need something that truly never misses a beat for a long time, this could be the one for you. It has a powerful 12th-generation Intel Core i9 processor paired up with 128GB of RAM. Yup, we said RAM, not SSD storage. That's a frankly phenomenal amount given even high-end gaming systems tend to offer 32GB at most right now, so this is seriously future-proofed. For storage, you get 2TB of SSD storage so -- again -- it's going to last a very long time.

Read more
Get a $50 Amazon gift card when you subscribe to Microsoft 365
Computer user touching on Microsoft word icon to open the program.

One of the best Microsoft Office deals is on Microsoft 365 Family at Amazon. If you buy today, you can get a 12-month subscription for the whole family for $100 instead of $150, plus you get a $50 Amazon gift card bundled in for free. Combined, that means the Microsoft 365 Family Subscription works out at just $50 for the year. Here's a look at who needs it and why.

Why you should buy Microsoft 365 Family 12-month subscription
If you've been checking out the best alternatives to Microsoft Office, you'll appreciate that you can't go wrong with the genuine article. This version of Microsoft 365 gives you 12 months of access for up to six people so the whole family can easily use its services all year around. It provides you with access to Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Outlook.

Read more