• Recommend:
• 0 Comments

INET '98: Teleglobe, Intelsat Team on Satellite System for Internet

Global satellites will push Web content to Internet service providers in far-off lands, making access cheaper.

By Kristi Essick, PCWorld   

The idea is to push frequently accessed Internet content to servers around the world so that users don't need to pull data from sites off the Internet in far-away countries, the companies said. The multicasting software system was developed by Maryland-based A&T Systems.

During the first phase of the trial, which will begin in November, Teleglobe will cache preselected popular content, as well as content requested by the kiosk operators, the company said. Teleglobe will also strike deals with content providers who wish to offer their material on the push system. In this phase, the content will be pulled to a "warehouse" on the Intelsat base station. However, in the future, the warehouse itself will be able to receive pushed content, including music, sports events, and real-time news.

Teleglobe plans to offer the service commercially by mid-1999, the company said. While it won't be solely aimed at Internet service providers in developing countries, that is where the demand will be greatest for satellite-based content provision, according to the company. Four ISPs will be involved in the test: South Africa Telecom, Cyprus Telecom, IDSC Telecom in Egypt, and Embratel in Brazil.

The satellite-based Internet service replaces a leased-line situation in which an ISP would need to have a constant connection to the Internet, Teleglobe said. Since it is very expensive to lease lines in developing countries, a satellite setup allows ISPs to save money and pass along these savings to their customers, Teleglobe said. With content cached locally in the country, users won't have to go out onto the Web and pull information from servers located across the world, which saves time and reduces network traffic, the companies said.

Teleglobe offers services to telecom providers and ISPs around the world via its network of 41 earth stations and undersea cables.