Subject: IP over Satellite Questions/References

From: Chris Metz <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 05 Jun 2000 22:27:19 -0400

Hi-
Based on a reference to Dish Network and Gilat I heard the other day on 
CNBC I am suddenly very curious about the use of satellite for broadband 
access to the home or business and IP over Satellite in general. As a 
generalization of the TCP over satellite problems and solutions that have 
been well documented over the last few years I was wondering about the 
following:

- IP/MPEG/DVB? So are IP packets carried in the MPE capabilities of MPEG 
for transmission over DVB systems?

- What about special satellite-specific link layers? Are MPEG frames 
carried inside these L2 protocols?

- How is the satellite uplink for a bidirectional system done? I am 
familiar with the DirecPC approach of using a terrestrial (dial, ISDN) 
uplink from the home. Is the bandwidth symmetrical or asymmetrical?

- How much bandwidth is possible? I see that DirecPC advertises 400Kb. What 
are the issues that affect how much bandwidth one can use?

Any conferences/tutorials/whitepapers/books that people can recommend to 
learn about this stuff?

Thanks ...

Chris Metz
Lead IP Architect
Solutions Integration
Service Provider Line of Business
Cisco Systems
email: [email-masked]
offic phone: 408-525-3275
home office: 914-241-0423
pager: 800-365-4578
Internal URL: http://wwwin-people.cisco.com/chmetz/chmetz.htm

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From: "James Zhu" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 10:38:01 -0700

Chris,

You can checkout Tachyon.net, they just launched *two* way broadband
internet access over satellite in march. .9m VSAT dish. Traffic are carried
over MPEG/DVB. Their service targets to small-mid size businesses and is QOS
provisioned. They currently have coverage in Europe/North/South America.

-jaz

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From: Daniel Senie <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 15:35:00 -0400

> provisioned. They currently have coverage in Europe/North/South America.

Unless something's changed, they don't offer Internet access, just
private networking. If that's your need, then it'll work. If you really
didn't want to install hundreds of locations, it may not be what you
want.

If I could get bidirectional VSAT at DSL prices (with reasonable
equipment charges) and including Internet connectivity, I'd certainly
have a number of applications for that. The Gilat/DISH offering is in
that direction. Nothing else I've seen yet is available for less than
100 times the price (monthly) and excessive equipment pricing (i.e. no,
I don't want a 12 foot dish and dedicated C-band transponders).

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel Senie                                        [email-masked]
Amaranth Networks Inc.                    http://www.amaranth.com

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From: "James Zhu" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 15:44:37 -0700

----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Senie" <[email-masked]>
To: "James Zhu" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Chris Metz" <[email-masked]>; "Larry Schott" <[email-masked]>;
<[email-masked]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: IP over Satellite Questions/References

> didn't want to install hundreds of locations, it may not be what you

That is not correct. Tachyon System was designed for Internet broadband
access from the begining. They provide the satellite link to ISP and ISPs
signs up individual customer as they normally do with a DSL or modem line.

> I don't want a 12 foot dish and dedicated C-band transponders).

Gilat is consumer oriented. Tachyon is business oriented. Different
throughput speed, provisioning, service quality. (ie. They guarantee up
time.)

cheers,

-jaz