StarBand
Encyclopedia
StarBand is a two-way satellite broadband Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

 service available in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. StarBand Communications Inc. was initially a joint venture between Gilat Satellite Networks
Gilat Satellite Networks
Gilat Satellite Networks is a public company headquartered in Israel that develops and sells VSAT satellite ground stations and related equipment...

, EchoStar and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

, and the StarBand service was launched in 2000. StarBand Communications filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002 and emerged from bankruptcy in 2003. In March 2005, StarBand Communications was acquired by Spacenet
Spacenet
Spacenet, Inc. is a provider of VSAT satellite-based data network services as well as hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks and network management services...

, a division of Gilat Satellite Networks
Gilat
Gilat is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the western Negev desert between Beersheba and Ofakim, it falls under the jurisdiction of Merhavim Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 965.The moshav was founded in 1949 by immigrants from Tunisia...

, which continues to operate the service. As of mid-2005, StarBand had approximately 32,000 subscribers.

The StarBand satellite Internet system is a VSAT platform that uses Ku band
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...

 satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...

s for transmission of data from users' PCs to the StarBand network operations center. Two-way bandwidth for residential users is up to 1.5 Mbit/s download speed and 256 kbit/s upload speed, with unlimited usage and online hours. A 0.75 meter satellite dish
Satellite dish
A satellite dish is a dish-shaped type of parabolic antenna designed to receive microwaves from communications satellites, which transmit data transmissions or broadcasts, such as satellite television.-Principle of operation:...

 is needed; the antenna is sufficiently small that Home Owner Associations cannot prohibit its installation.

StarBand service is designed to provide a superior performance level and it is slightly less expensive than its WildBlue and HughesNet competitors.

Technology

StarBand offered the first residential two-way satellite Internet service in the United States market. Launched in November 2000, StarBand began selling the Gilat Satellite Networks
Gilat Satellite Networks
Gilat Satellite Networks is a public company headquartered in Israel that develops and sells VSAT satellite ground stations and related equipment...

 SkyBlaster PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect
Conventional PCI is a computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer...

 card VSAT. Initially, the only way to purchase the StarBand system was to purchase a PC with the send/receive PCI card pre-installed as well as hosting software.

In 2001, StarBand began offering service using standalone VSAT units using the StarBand Model 180 (based on the Gilat Skystar Advantage/180 VSAT) connected via USB. The 180 modem was Windows OS-only because it required specialized Windows drivers for the USB interface.

In 2002, StarBand switched to Gilat's Model 360 VSAT which enabled higher speed and allowed USB or Ethernet connections, but still required driver software to communicate.

In 2003, StarBand introduced the Model 480 modem (based on the Gilat Skystar 360E VSAT), which connects via Ethernet, supports multiple computers/OSes and requires no additional software. The 48x series service supports Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

 PC, Macintosh, Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...

 and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...

 computers. In late 2005, StarBand began selling only Model 480-based services.

In October 2006, StarBand introduced the its next-generation service, the StarBand Nova (based on the Gilat SkyEdge series). The StarBand Nova modems are capable of higher speeds, optimized for VoIP, VPN, and work on a more efficient hub. The SkyEdge modems have one Ethernet port and do not require hosting software for any OS platform.

Previously, StarBand supplied a .76M convergence antenna which picked up two Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...

signals and the satellite internet signal. StarBand is now supplying a third generation .78M antenna, and users require a separate antenna to receive satellite television signals. The third generation antenna provides a longer focal length, which helps to create a better signal-to-noise ratio.

All satellite internet providers such as Star Band measure the amount of data you transfer.
The following is the current AUP for StarBand services.

Nova 500 (512/100)
Download Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 750 Mbytes
Download Recovery Rate – 150 kbit/s
Download Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 500 Mbytes
Upload Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 250 Mbytes
Upload Recovery Rate – 40 kbit/s
Upload Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 150 Mbytes

Nova Pro 1000 (1024/128)
Download Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 1600 Mbytes
Download Recovery Rate – 150 kbit/s
Download Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 1024 Mbytes
Upload Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 400 Mbytes
Upload Recovery Rate – 56 kbit/s
Upload Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 275 Mbytes

Nova Pro 1500 (1.5/256)
Download Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 4000 Mbytes
Download Recovery Rate – 150 kbit/s
Download Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 2750 Mbytes
Upload Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 1000 Mbytes
Upload Recovery Rate – 96 kbit/s
Upload Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 700 Mbytes

480 Pro/484 (1000/256)
Download Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 3500 Mbytes
Download Recovery Rate – 150 kbit/s
Download Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 2500 Mbytes
Upload Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 390.6 Mbytes
Upload Recovery Rate – 80 kbit/s
Upload Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 265.6 Mbytes

481 (500/128)
Download Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 1000 Mbytes
Download Recovery Rate – 150 kbit/s
Download Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 750 Mbytes
Upload Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 390.6 Mbytes
Upload Recovery Rate – Not Published kbit/s
Upload Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 265.6 Mbytes

360 (500/)
Download Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 1000 Mbytes
Download Recovery Rate – 150 kbit/s
Download Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 750 Mbytes
Upload Threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 390.6 Mbytes
Upload Recovery Rate – Not Published kbit/s
Upload Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) – 265.6 Mbytes

External links


The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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