Microsat Systems Canada Inc. is planning on launching a small network of small satellites to improve internet access in remote and rural areas. The network of satellites, called COMMStellation, will comprise a constellation of 78 small and inexpensive satellites in orbit at about 1,000 kilometers above the Earth. The micro-satellites can use cheaper and more ordinary electronics systems than satellites orbiting much higher because their low orbit is less demanding than in space. They will also use less power to transmit data because they are closer to the surface. The satellites are small enough that 14 of them can be launched on a single rocket, which also cuts costs. “The influx of millions of data-hungry mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, is causing unprecedented strain on mobile networks, which have already reached, or are nearing, capacity. COMMStellation will provide essential backhaul capacity to mobile operators across the globe. It’s an initiative many governments are pushing for because of its ability to connect all of Earth’s citizens to the Internet,” explains David R. Cooper, President and CEO, MSCI. MSCI plans to launch the first satellites in 2014 and have the entire network operational the following year. The satellites will be launched into six orbital planes, 30 degrees apart, with 13 satellites and a spare in each plane. Each of the COMMStellation satellites will be capable of transferring 12 gigabits of data per second and will give coverage to a circular area of over 18 million square kilometers. For more information visit: http://www.mscinc.ca/news/2011-1-19-MSCI-COMMStellation.html
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