What is Ku-band VSAT?
MJ: VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) is a catchy acronym that is used for all types of satellite products, ranging from small components to complete systems. A VSAT is a two-way satellite communication system with very small dishes (antennas) about 1 metre across that uses a specific frequency (Ku-band). Today, the total costs of this type of two-way satellite communication equipment are less than $2000, and the service charges less than $100 per month. With such a system, a small business such as a cybercafe, or government or NGO offices anywhere in Africa can get connected to the Internet, regardless of the distance to the nearest connection to the terrestrial telecom infrastructure. Combined with WiFi (wireless local area network application) many people in a village could share such a VSAT system and its costs. Within the next five years, if national telecom regulations on the use of private VSAT and wireless Internet are relaxed, this technology could help to meet the growing d
