VSATs-a perspective

VSATs come in many shapes and sizes although the acronym VSAT (meaning very small aperture terminal) suggests they are all very small. Today, when we are realistically talking about handheld satellite phones, VSATs may seem very large! The term VSAT includes receive-only terminals and two-way interactive terminals. Some two-way terminals can be connected to one another directly in a mesh, others need to connected via a hub in a star. Usually the hub is a larger station so that the VSATs can be even smaller. There are many definitions of a VSAT. A comprehensive one is given in ETSI 300 159. The VSAT networks were born, not from technical advances looking for an application but from real customers anxious to buy new services