European Satellite operator Eutelsat has announced the completion of a key communications module for its forthcoming KA-SAT broadband internet satellite. The development will allow KA-SAT's Tooway service, which is expected to launch by the end of this year, to offer improved download speeds of 'up to' 10Mbps to rural parts of the UK.

The existing Eutelsat Tooway service can be purchased through several UK Satellite ISPs (e.g. Tariam Homenet), which offers download speeds of up to 3.6Mbps, uploads of up to 0.38Mbps (384Kbps) and a 2.4GB monthly usage allowance for around £33.25 inc. VAT per month. There's also a £29.99 connection fee and hefty £399 hardware price to consider.


It's understood that the new communications module has now been transferred from Astrium’s manufacturing facilities in Portsmouth to Toulouse, France, and integrated with the KA-SAT service module for testing before its launch. The new satellite will not only bring faster speeds but it could also improve performance, price and usage allowances, if perhaps not immediately.

Satellite has the advantage of being able to reach 100% of the country, though it's performance is often less reliable than fixed line counterparts. Prices can also be extremely high and usage allowances are often very meagre, not to mention problems with high latency (fast paced online multiplayer games are a big no-no).

Eutelsat's faster satellite will go head to head with HYLAS1 from UK rival Avanti , which is targetted to enter operation by September 2010. HYLAS1 should deliver download speeds of up to 8Mbps, though details about price, hardware and usage allowances have yet to be decided.

It's worth remembering that while Satellite is far from perfect it can still provide a useful alternative in remote locations where fixed line broadband solutions cannot yet reach or fail to function properly. However as a long term solution its usefulness remains questionable.