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Some updated information for quick reference.
With Xplornet(Telesat provides the satellite service). http://www.telesat.ca
The Anik F2,, Some of the beams are full or almost full.
The Anik F3 has two spot beams and is using them already).
Hughesnet Spaceway3(Ka band) is providing some new capacity in the southern reaches of Canada(but is still being tweaked to work reliably for residential users).
Hughesnet KU band satellites are mostly full, according to many posts on various forums. http://www.hughesnet.com
This section obsolete. Don't know what the KA beams are for. Maybe Bells offering for high definition TV or such..
Nimiq4, which is for Bell satellite TV, may be running by early next year without major delays(has 8 KA band spot beams on it for Telesat's internet, for use in Canada).
Update:: Satellite is launched, but will the NOC's(Network Operations Centers) be updated to allow for it and more bandwidth capacity?
Old news link to information. 13 February 2006
http://www.space.com/spacenews/archive06/Wild_021306.html
Telesat also has ordered eight Ka-band spot beams to be included on its just-ordered Nimiq4 direct-broadcast television satellite. The Ka-band payload will target those areas of Canada -- mainly southern Ontario and southern Quebec -- in which broadband demand has been strongest, Telesat Canada Chief Financial Officer Teg Ignacy said.
Update::::
Also from Telesats site for the KA part of Nimiq4..Makes you wonder where the KA will be used for then.
The second, smaller payload has 8 Ka-band channels for advanced services such as high definition television. The satellite will be located at 82ยบ West longitude.
http://www.galaxybroadband.ca/
As a Hughesnet reseller.
And FAP limits continue to slowly drop on Hughesnet. 200MB limit, per 24 hours, on some packages, before being reduced to dialup speeds(Bucket system refills at dialup speed, to refill MB bucket).
Telesats system for Xplornet, is FAP resets hourly, so speed initially reduced when you hit the 'magic' limit and then if your are a good person, it will reset at the hour to full speed again.
http://www.netkaster.com/
As the northern re-seller of Telesats satellite Internet.
And Telesats Fair Access Policy(FAP), is on all re-sellers. The below is from NetKaster. And you won't see Xplornet's version any where near this....
Benefits and Privileges. This Acceptable Use and Fair Access Policy (the “Policy”) governs the use of Telesat Canada’s (“Telesat”) satellite provided Ka-band high-speed internet service (the “Service”).
11. Excessive Consumption. In order to ensure fair access to the Service by all users, and to protect the integrity of the Service, Telesat shall be entitled to take steps to prevent improper or excessive consumption of Service bandwidth by users of the Service. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Telesat reserves the right: (1) to limit throughput rates of certain bandwidth-intensive activities such as, but not limited to, audio and video streaming, and automatic file exchange applications; (2) to discontinue the provision of the Service via specific ports or communication protocols; and/or (3) increase or decrease the relative priority of any or all traffic flows.
And satellite Internet providers do not want you to do anything more than basic web page surfing and email. So don't pay much attention to the advertising of 'Fast' or 'High speed' Internet, or 'Discover the online world'. Even the providers in the States have shifted to a lease system(purchase still available), to further reduce upfront costs to the consumer during the current depression in the market place. And trying to get more customers on to their systems.
And why do some review's keep coming up with "It was my only choice(satellite)". Well dialup is also a choice.
Saw an article the other day, calling DSL "The New dialup"(compared to Cable speeds). Well comparing the speeds of DSL with dialup, if DSL is dialup, then Satellite is the Telegraph line of the Old West(according to the speeds offered to consumers between Satellite and DSL)..
