VOIP Over Satellite Internet: A White Paper from Galaxy Broadband Communications

Voice over IP (VoIP) Over Satellite

A White Paper by Galaxy Broadband Communications Inc. April 2007

Voice over IP or VoIP is fast becoming accepted as a communications platform. The purpose of this paper is to describe the particular challenges with VoIP over satellite, including the inherent latency of satellite connections and their effect on VoIP quality. At Galaxy Broadband we have been involved with VoIP over satellite for many years and understand the unique advantages and disadvantages users of this technology are faced with. We have experimented with various hardware and software configurations and service providers over the years with both success and failure. This paper will provide background of the issues and present our recommendations.

Who Should Consider Using VoIP Over Satellite If you are contemplating purchasing a satellite Internet system just so you can eliminate your telephone company and save $35.00 a month, we suggest you reconsider. Voice over Satellite Internet should be considered as a viable option only if you do not have a reliable wired telephone line. Those in remote areas where cell phone, radiophones, or satellite phones are the only options to communicate with the outside world can benefit from this technology and should seriously evaluate the benefits, including cost savings.

VoIP as a Technology VoIP begins when a regular telephone is connected to a local device called an ATA or VoIP router. This device converts actual sound waves into data packets by way of a process referred to as a codec. Not all codecs are equal, and it?s very important that the user use the right one, especially when using a satellite connection. These packets travel in the same way as data packets to a destination (VoIP Service Provider) where they are converted back from data packets to sound waves for the calling number to hear.

An amusing story we like to tell about VoIP over satellite Internet is about a geologist working at a drilling location in Northern Alberta. Prior to installing his new system, the geologist had to drive several miles to a hilltop to make a cell phone call which was usually hit or miss whether it connected at all. Given his daily billing rate this was an expensive proposition, let alone the inconvenience factor. His newly installed satellite Internet configured for VoIP offered calling from the comfort of his camp but if the connection halted or missed in any way, even a single syllable missing, he would immediately complain and cuss about the technology! Why would he react this way when 99% of his calls were good enough to carry on a conversation? You won?t see him or anyone else tossing a cell phone out the window during frequent ?burps? so why the lack of tolerance in VoIP? The answer lies in a peculiar perception about VoIP created by a combination of expectations in new technology and popular culture.

VoIP over Satellite Internet works, but it?s not perfect. In fact, VoIP is not a perfected technology in itself, let alone the additional complications due to the satellite link. The voice quality can be quite good, often better than a cell phone call, but it is definitely not toll quality to most modern terrestrial telephone networks.

Satellite Latency and its Affect on VoIP Latency is the term that describes the time it takes to get a packet to its destination. It is usually expressed in milliseconds, or ms. Since the satellites are located 23,000 miles above the equator, and satellite signals travel at the speed of light, this journey takes approximately 540 ms. You then add on the latency of the various Internet hops and servers plus the VoIP provider?s network to end with a total latency in the range of 650 ms to 700ms or more depending on the state of the Internet itself. Another contributing factor could be the quality of your satellite signal which may cause packets to be resent. This latency is heard as a delay between the sender and the receiving ear. Users of VoIP over satellite need to learn how to communicate with this inherent latency much like the older press-to-talk radio phones. Further, the delay requires the users to be patient and refrain from interrupting the caller.

VoIP on the Ground Even using terrestrial low latency connections, VoIP is still facing challenges due to the multiple hops and connections of the Internet itself. The technology is good, and likely getting better, but still not perfect.

Shared Networks over Satellite Satellite Service Providers offer service plans in two major categories. The lowest price group are referred to as best effort networks designed for general Internet access for a typical home, farm, or small business with web surfing and email the primary uses. The second category are commercial grade connectivity plans with Quality of Service. Quality of Service or QoS is an industry term for networks that offer end users specific optimization and performance assurances and tend to be closely managed.

Both of theses network types are shared networks meaning the available bandwidth is shared among all users. Virtually all Internet access providers including cable and DSL share their bandwidth with multiple users, but since satellite space is much more expensive than local wires, the satellite services tend to have more users to share the cost. The price is a good indication of the number of users sharing the available bandwidth. Given a similar speed offering, the lower the price the more users share the available space. Overloaded networks will result in fluctuating performance.

?Best Effort Plans? Networks As the term implies, packets sent and received arrive at their respective destinations at the earliest possible time depending upon the traffic. No users or particular applications receive priority. All home or small office Service Plans offered by virtually all internet access service providers on satellite or terrestrial are ?best effort?. The price per month is a good indicator as to the number of users allowed on the network as the more on, the lower the cost to all. This results in fluctuating speeds depending upon the time of day. Peak times like evenings or after school gets out tend to have more users on the network as compared to early in the morning. If a VoIP user is conducting a conversation during congested periods, the voice packets will slow or drop resulting in missed syllables.

So, given the need for more users to share in the overall cost of the network itself and the additional latency of the connection itself, VoIP over best effort satellite networks will encounter performance problems.

QoS Networks Think of a Best Effort plan (above) as a freeway with congested traffic where traffic stops and starts according to the number of cars trying to drive on the road at the same time. If the freeway had a priority lane (an HOV or high occupancy lane is an example in some cities) or an open lane that only some cars were entitled to travel on, these cars would travel faster without congestion because the lane is open. This is the benefit of a QoS Service Plan on a managed network. Time sensitive traffic can be prioritized to reach its destination sooner and without starts and stops. However, this comes with an added cost.

For end users needing VoIP over satellite Internet to work consistently well a QoS managed network that specifically prioritizes voice packets is required.

Minimum Connection Speed The codec used by the VoIP provider is the key determining factor on connection speed for VoIP to work consistently well. Most big name VoIP providers that sell primarily to terrestrial cable and DSL customers are designed to work without the latency of satellite. These services don?t work well on satellite and tend to use codec that need a higher minimum bandwidth. Satellite service providers use codecs that require 30 kbps or less to function well. It is important that the end user works with their satellite service provider to insure the VoIP router or ATA device is configured with the correct codec for satellite.

The Importance of a Properly Installed Antenna on Performance Most people today are familiar with satellite TV which is a one-way service, meaning a satellite TV dish picks up radio signals from 23,000 miles out in space. Satellite Internet not only picks up signals, but it also sends radio signals back to the satellite 23,000 miles out in space! This two-way communication requires a very precise antenna properly mounted so it can hit a receiving dish 20 feet wide on the satellite. Any ?misses? result in lost transmissions so they must be sent again, slowing the speeds. If the user is transmitting a voice packet, these misses result in a lost syllable or two. Data packets lost are rarely discernable but VoIP packets lost can be heard. Using weather proven antennas, well engineered mounting systems, and a professional installation will result in a dish that can consistently send an accurate signal to hit the satellite every time.

911 Calling 911 Service for VoIP providers requires special attention since in many cases, there is no land based telephone line attached to a physical address that emergency responders can go to. It is important to consider the ramifications of this before deciding on VoIP, and with the added mobility of satellite, it becomes more of an issue. Most VoIP service providers have specific 911 Service solutions that may include a call center equipped with a database of last known location but the end user is responsible to keep this updated.

Summary Voice over IP over Satellite Internet works but the degree that the end user is generally satisfied with the service will depend entirely upon the quality of the satellite service and the connection itself. QoS networks will work best and offer consistent quality. Low end consumer service plans will not, as a rule, perform adequately. That said, the expectations of Voice over IP over Satellite need to be thoroughly discussed with professionals in advance of the buying decision to avoid disappointment as described in the story of the Alberta geologist.

Rick Hodgkinson President & CEO of Galaxy Broadband Communications was one of Canada?s satellite pioneers. He was one of the very first to introduce satellite communications technologies for voice, data, and entertainment to the oil & gas industry beginning in Northern Alberta in 1981 and has evolved to the national stage with the formation of Galaxy Satellite in 1992 and later with Galaxy Broadband, both leading companies in the Canadian satellite industry. Galaxy has grown to be one of the key providers of Broadband Satellite Communications to both consumers and businesses in Canada. http://www.galaxybroadband.ca

Satellite Internet Services for Business

Satellite internet service for business is a great way to increase your competitive edge. First it offers you almost unlimited mobility. As long as you can get a clear shot to the south you will be able to connect to the internet via a satellite connection. Secondly it offers you a faster connection than traditional land based internet services. This means that you can upload and download data faster. This saves you time and money. Finally satellite internet service offers you the ability to access more and transmit more channels of data and information.

You can utilize satellite internet service for professional use in several ways. First you can use it to link your field staff to office resources via satellite internet for laptops. This will allow anyone in your business to connect to the internet from any locations. This could help them to research problems or to connect to data and files on their office computer. Digital satellite internet can also be used in the office in the form of wireless internet. This will give your in-office staff the ability to move between offices without losing their internet connection, or you can utilize the wireless connection to offer internet service to all of your employees without having to run cables or network computers in your office.

When you are looking for internet service for your office you will want to look for specific features. First you will want to look for a service that is priced competitively for the type of services that it offers. Secondly you will want to look for satellite internet providers that offer the bandwidth that you need for your business activities. Finally you will want to look for a service that offers you the type of modem connection that you want. For example you can choose from one-way, one-way with terrestrial return, or a two way modem system.

In the market for satellite internet services? Nationwide Satellite Solutions is your provider of HughesNet satellite internet as well a great resource that will answer any questions you have. Find out if it available in your area. For more on satellite technology visit the technology and internet directory.

Satellite Internet and Online Gaming: Does It Work?

Online gaming is one of the fastest growing trends in the world right now. With games such as Runescape boasting subscriber numbers of around a million and World of Warcraft exceeding 7 million active members, the total number of MMOG subscriptions is verging on the absurd, quickly approaching the 14 million mark worldwide[6/06, mmogchart.com]. This tremendous growth in the popularity of the online gaming industry has, in part, been fueled by the accessibility of high-speed broadband internet. A high-speed connection allows for a much more enjoyable game-play experience. Everyone knows that online games work exceptionally well on DSL and Cable internet connections, but what about the newer high-speed service satellite internet? As satellite internet is becoming more readily available and cost effective more and more rural dial-up customers are making the switch to cash in on the faster speeds and always on access. But, when it comes to online gaming many are concerned that their game-play experience will be less satisfactory, if they can even connect to play at all.

The reason for this concern is the issue of latency. Latency is an expression of how much time it takes for a packet of data to get from one designated point to another. This is direly important when it come to on-line gaming in that latency translates into the time that it takes from the moment that a button is pushed to when the action is performed in the game. Often this can mean the difference between life and death. With DSL and Cable the response time is almost immediate, being between 50milliseconds-150milliseconds. The latency for satellite internet is between 600milliseconds-800milliseconds. This may sound like the end of online gaming for someone who has just made the switch to satellite internet but it is not. Although this degree of latency does all but rule out first-person shooters there are a good number of MMOGs that operate well over a satellite internet connection. And, although the effects of latency can never be completely eliminated, there are ways in which to improve upon them. The simplest way to do this is by speeding up the way that one?s computer handles and responds to information being transferred through the connection and by increasing the total amount of available bandwidth. Some operating systems have built in reserves on bandwidth that are non-essential to the functionality of most web applications, see link for a tweak http://www.wildblue.cc/wbforums/showthread.php?t=3323 .

By eliminating non-essential services i.e. bandwidth hogs that the average user never utilizes and dedicating more physical resources to the most used application can help tremendously. Minimizing the effects of latency down to the bare minimum allowed by the laws of physics enables one to play more online gaming that was before not workable and also speeds up the responses of other games that already do work. So, although there are limitations to on-line gaming over satellite internet there are also ways to improve upon game-play responsiveness and many games that will play well without operating system tweaks. Below is a list of online games for both console and PC that, according to subscribers that have tested and played them, do and do not work over satellite internet. This is not a definitive list of games guaranteed to work, so be cautious as results may vary.

What Works
Xbox/Xbox360/PS2/Handheld Games:
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat(for me anyway doesn't for some others)
Perfect Dark Zero
All Tony Hawk games
Mario Kart DS
Call of Duty 2
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
Socom 3(mixed results)
Socom 2(so-so)
Nascar 06 total team control(works kinda)
Rainbow Six Series(Host boots for high ping usually, But CO-OP and 2 V 2 work well)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent

PC Games:
Runescape
Asheron's Call
Everquest
Everquest 2
World of Warcraft
Star Wars Galaxies
Dark Age of Camelot
Roma Victor
Eve Online
Star Wars: Empire at War
Dungeon and Dragons online
Warcraft3
GuildWars
City of Heroes(very difficult to connect to the patch server..other than that it works fine)
Final Fantasy XI
Contract Jack
Auto Assault
Aces High Online flight sim
Trackmania
WarRock Beta
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast
StarPeace
America's Army
Red Orchestra
Diablo 2
Titan Quest
F.E.A.R.
Postal 2

What doesn't work or is not enjoyable

Xbox/Xbox360/PS2/Handheld Games:
Far Cry Instincts Predator
Halo 2
NBA Live 2006
Quake 4
Prey Demo
Ratchet and Clank: Deadlocked

PC Games:
Star Craft
BattleField 2 Demo
Call of Duty 1&2
Battelfield2
Band of Brothers
C&C Generals
UT2004(playable..not enjoyable)
Ragnarok
Prey Demo
Civ 4
Battlefield 2142

Jacob Minett is a consultant and copy writer for the fullfillment company My Net LLC. With six years experience in the satellite industry, Jacob has worked both in the field as a lead technician and now consulting and web copy duties for http://www.MyBlueDish.com which specializes in WildBlue Satellite Internet.

Broadband Satellite Internet

Broadband satellite Internet has provided hope for rural subscribers who are outside the coverage areas of most Internet service providers. Most home subscribers opt for cable and DSL Internet connections. But in areas which are not under the range of the high-speed broadband connection, or where dial-up access is extremely slow, satellite broadband Internet is a boon. The technology has been there for a long time, but it has evolved in more recent times.

The connection does not use wire, but requires an intermediary satellite. Requests are logged through a home computer and a special satellite modem to a satellite dish, which is installed on the roof of the subscriber?s office or house. These signals are sent or received from the dish satellite to an orbiting satellite, which in turn sends or transmits information to the dish satellite at the service provider?s office. The connection speed is a little less in comparison to DSL and cable Internet connections. This can be a drawback while using certain applications, such as real-time interactive games.

However, does not affect web surfing and sighting. A lot of these shortcomings can be overcome by using a signal amplifier, to cater to external or climatic disturbance and signal locators, to catch signals faster. Some other problems associated with satellite broadband Internet connections are that the installation charge for the dish satellite and the monthly subscription charges are a bit expensive, in comparison to DSL and cable connections.

The satellite dish being installed outside on the roof is liable to damage due to climatic conditions like rain and high-intensity wind. The expenses required for setting up the right kind of infrastructure for the rural subscribers has been one more reason for the technological lag in this area. Despite all of these shortcomings it is the best option for those who are placed at a geographically disadvantaged condition, and the promise of a better future lies ahead.


Broadband Internet provides detailed information on Broadband Internet, Broadband Internet Access, Broadband Satellite Internet, Broadband Internet Providers and more. Broadband Internet is affliated with Broadband Speeds.

How To Save Thousands Of Dollars Watching Free Satellite TV on your PC Via The Internet

If you do not know that you can get free satellite TV on your PC via the Internet as I did not know until just fortnight ago, after you read this article you will see that there is a new reality about how to watch TV these days.

You will also be surprised to note, as I found out that there is no difficulty, as some people believe, in the download and installation of satellite television software, which makes it possible for you to watch thousands of TV stations on your PC or Laptop. I was even shown, and you too can learn how to connect your PC or Laptop to your Television set.

The satellite TV software I got is very affordable, less than half of my monthly satellite television subscription fee, which I have since unsubscribed. This is very interesting to me since I will be saving $90.00 every month from now onwards.

Let me tell you from my own experience what you do NOT need in order to get free Internet PC satellite TV.

 

• Other than your PC or Laptop, no additional hardware is required. You do NOT need a decoder, converter or cable box. You do NOT need to install any type of card. You do NOT need to set up a dish. You do NOT need a receiver. You do NOT pay monthly subscription

Friend, my Internet television software enables me to easily access thousands of satellite television channels including the following:

• News Sports Movies Documentaries Children Programs Music History

And even radio programming from the world over.

I enjoy All of this and much more for a once off price, so little it is less than half of my monthly subscription fee as I said earlier. There are no recurring fees of any sort, no hidden charges. You pay nothing else.

 

If you are like me who likes international sporting events you will realize the benefit of doing away with pay-per-view and even monthly subscription fees.

Internet television software has made it unnecessary for you to continue to pay for sports when you do not have to? Why endure blackouts ordinarily, when you can now receive live satellite TV broadcasts of your favorite team or event?

Having said all that, before you download any Internet television software, ensure that you have some advice from someone who already enjoys that particular service. Not all of the Internet television software providers are able to live up their promises.

If you would like more information on the best Internet television services and fees, please visit 3000-tv.com. There you can find answers to your questions as well as other important information. Visit with us today, and watch your favorite programming tonight!

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Motorhome Satellite Internet

The Internet has moved from novelty to virtual necessity for many people in recent years. motorhome satellite internet technology brings this necessity to your motorhome.

For many people, the internet has become a way of life. It is used to keep in touch with family and friends. It is used to pay bills and handle banking transactions. It is used to retrieve information of all types quickly. All of these functions are as important on your motorhome vacation as when you are sitting at home. motorhome satellite internet semotorhomeices have made it possible to perform all of them when on the road.

The motorhome satellite internet semotorhomeices generally operate with dish type antennas. These antennas use GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) technology to locate and lock on to a satellite which provides the internet connection. The two basic types of antennas are called automatic and tripod. The automatic antennas are permanent mounted to the motorhome. They have a “stow” position that protects them from wind when the vehicle is in motion. Most of them will automatically go into stow mode when the GPS senses the vehicle is in motion, although there is a stow button on the controller.

The tripod antennas must be manually set up and connected. They are much less expensive than the automatic antennas, but the time required to set them up and take them down makes them less practical for quick internet connection during rest breaks. They are designed to be used when the motorhome has moved to a permanent camp site. People who wish to have quick access to the internet even during short stops usually opt for the automatic antennas.

The systems are not perfect. An unobstructed view of the southern sky is needed and trees or buildings can block the reception. Cloud cover and weather conditions can have some effect on reception, but usually only in the most extreme storm conditions. For the most part, access is fairly easy to achieve. Most of the satellite internet provider semotorhomeices offer broadband semotorhomeices with extremely fast download times. It is possible to combine your internet reception with satellite TV on the same system.

The initial cost of the system is a bit high, especially when you go with an automatic antenna. Once you have your system installed, the monthly costs for semotorhomeice are in line with normal internet semotorhomeice. The advantages of having immediate internet semotorhomeice in your motorhome are many. For years, motorhomeers have been carrying laptops and connecting to the internet in a variety of difficult and time consuming methods. The motorhome satellite internet system has made the internet as much a part of the motorhome experience as the stove and sink.

Find more information on RV campgrounds at http://www.RVRentalsforyou.com.