Wi-Fi With Satellite Backhaul

A new report out discussing WiFi-Satellite converged services suggests that there is a rosy future out there for Internet service solutions using WiFi to the customer and Satellite for the backhaul. I tend to agree. Those of us reading this on broadband connections (or me posting it from CTIA with a 1XRTT connection) can hardly understand the need for a kludged solution that makes three wireless hops (two of them > 23,000 miles) to deliver data, but imagine ships at sea, trains, RVs, remote locations, and the developing world. In those situations, the choices for backhaul are almost non-existent: it's satellite or smoke signals. But it doesn't make sense for every user to have their own dish aimed at the heavens, and few mobile workers will tote 24" dishes, so WiFi is a great solution for sharing the Internet the last 50 feet from a shared dish to the end users. No, this idea won't ever visit your Starbucks, but the world is big and there are many gaps only satellite could fill.

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