Common Internet applications include Web browsing, file transfer protocol (FTP), remote login (Telnet), video teleconferencing, e-mail, and broadcast. They all use IP (Internet Protocol) as the transmission mechanism, so they can seamlessly run over satellite networks.
Remote control and login Remote control and login are very delay sensitive. Typically a user expects responsiveness on the order of tens of milliseconds during a remote login session. Remote control may require even faster response, depending on applications. When compared with the often congested and chaotic terrestrial Internet, system response time over GEO satellites is somewhat slower but more stable. If a user can endure a half-second to one-second delay, remote control and remote login applications can run smoothly over satellites.
Information dissemination and broadcast Satellite networks are better media to deliver bulk data, anywhere and anytime. Some illustrative examples include maps and situation awareness data, stock market and financial numbers, battlefield information, and medical data. Data broadcast, such as webcasting, network news, and TV programs can be very expensive for point-to-point networks, but is ideally suited to broadcast satellites. Therefore, GEO satellites are far more suitable for these applications than is the traditional terrestrial network.
Videoconferencing Videoconferencing and video distribution applications can usually tolerate a certain amount of packet loss, they can be built on top of UDP. Typically the protocol requires no bidirectional synchronous (handshake-style) communication, hence latency is not a prohibitive issue. Compared with the terrestrial Internet, GEO satellites can provide better quality in videoconferencing thanks to more available bandwidth and simpler network topology.
Electronic mail Traditionally electronic mail is not interactive. It does not require a great deal of bandwidth and can tolerate reasonable delays (often in terms of minutes). It should work fine over any network.
Information retrieval (WWW, FTP) Many such applications require reliable data transmissions, hence they are usually built on top of robust protocols like TCP. Because of the "acknowledge-and-retransmission" scheme being used, these protocols are often sensitive to communication latency. Broadband is a major breakthrough in allowing reliable IP traffic over satellite.