Questions and Answers
Service-related- What is Tooway™?
- Why should I get Tooway™?
- What equipment do I need?
- How fast is Tooway™?
- Can I install it myself?
- How much does it cost?
- Do I need a telephone line?
- Are there any minimum requirements for computers?
- Can I integrate Tooway into a network?
- Can I use a wireless home network with Tooway™?
- Does Tooway™ offer triple-play services?
- Can I play online games with Tooway™?
- Can I receive TV channels via the ODU?
Technical
- What technology is Tooway™ based on?
- How long are the time delays with satellite transmissions?
- What are the maximum uplink and downlink speeds?
- How stable is the service in bad weather conditions?
- What frequency bands does the service operate in?
- What is Ka-band and what are its advantages?
- Who handles the platform operations?
- What is Tooway™?
Tooway™ is a high-quality, affordable, consumer satellite broadband Internet access for users across Europe.
- Why should I get Tooway™?
If you’re faced with the prospect of ‘dial-up-only’ Internet access then Tooway™ is for you. It offers a broadband Internet alternative to homes with low-speed dial-up. Tooway™ changes the price/performance paradigm for consumer satellite Internet access in rural areas across Europe.
- What equipment do I need?
All you need is a 68 cm satellite dish for the Ka-band service, or a 96 cm antenna for the Ku-band service, and the Tooway™ modem. No additional software needs to be installed on your computer to communicate with the Tooway™ modem.
- How fast is Tooway™?
There are three different packages with Tooway™ offering various speeds. Our Bronze, Silver and Gold packages are based on the different volumes of data that you wish to download/upload.
- Can I install it myself?
Installation is recommended by our trained installer network, via your distributor.
- How much does it cost?
Specific pricing is defined by the distributors. An alternative for homes with low-speed dial-up, Tooway™ approaches terrestrial broadband services in terms of price and speed. By jointly developing the Tooway™ service, Eutelsat and ViaSat are ushering in an era of affordable, high-quality consumer satellite broadband at a fraction of the cost of enterprise-focused satellite services designed for managing multiple work stations and complex network requirements.
- Do I need a telephone line?
No, Tooway™ does not require any cable or phone lines as did former satellite-based consumer Internet services.
- Are there any minimum requirements for computers?
Not normally, no. Any computer (MAC, Windows or Linux OS) with an embedded network interface card (10/100 Mbps) can be connected to the satellite modem. And more importantly, no additional hardware or computer software is required.
- Can I integrate Tooway™ into a network?
Yes, you simply need to connect an IP Router between the network in your home and the satellite modem. Otherwise you can choose the enhanced IDU with integrated router and Wi-Fi interface, in the near future.
- Can I use a wireless home network with Tooway™?
Yes, a Wi-Fi home network is available with Tooway™ at a low additional cost. Alternatively, any Wi-Fi router can be connected to the Tooway™ modem, allowing you to enjoy wireless browsing.
- Does Tooway™ offer triple-play services?
Tooway™ can be configured to receive television, with an additional receiver, and voice over IP services by connecting to a dedicated device.
- Can I play online games with Tooway™?
In principle yes, but it is not recommended to play so called "Egoshooter" games because of the significantly longer ping times (approximately 600 – 650 ms).
- Can I receive TV channels via the ODU?
In Ku-band, reception of TV channels at 13° East is possible with an additional LNB. Currently the Ka-band ODU is designed for the transmission and reception of data only, so it’s not possible to receive TV channels, however, we are working on an integrated solution.
- What technology is Tooway™ based on?
Tooway™ is based on ViaSat’s SurfBeam® DOCSIS® two-way broadband satellite system. Unlike other consumer satellite-based Internet services, this system requires no connection via cable or phone lines. The SurfBeam system is well established in North-America with more than 250,000 users. It is a highly scaleable open standards-based platform that lowers the cost of consumer terminals and services significantly by using cable modem networking technology, DOCSIS 1.1, a widely used open standard. To adapt the standard to satellite, ViaSat has developed a satellite air interface that is seamlessly integrated into DOCSIS head-end termination systems.
- How long are the time delays with satellite data transmissions?
Geostationary satellites are located in orbit approximately 36,000 kilometres above the equator. A roundtrip time to a satellite for data needs about 250 msec, the 2-way protocol latency is about 600 msec including SurfBeam system latency. To mitigate latency, which would impact on TCP throughput and web browsing speeds, a Performance Enhancing Proxy (PEP) and Web acceleration are integrated into the SurfBeam modem and DOCSIS head-end system.
- What are the maximum uplink and downlink speeds?
The SurfBeam terminal is able to receive at speeds up to 4 Mbps. The 2 Watt amplification allows transmission of data to the satellite by the consumer at speeds exceeding 1 Mbps according to the frequency band, the satellite, the remote antenna size and the location of the terminal.
- How stable is the Tooway™ service in bad weather?
At one time heavy rain was thought to be a potential barrier to successful deployment of Ka-band satellite systems. Indeed, the reduction of signal level is so important that it was difficult to guarantee a high-quality service. ViaSat has included in the SurfBeam system satellite air interface technology that mitigates rain fade. The SurfBeam system automatically responds to rain fade with uplink power control and adaptive data coding techniques (Adaptive Coding and Modulation - ACM) that overcome potential outages, while optimising the use of satellite transponder bandwidth. This gives the Tooway™ network higher reliability compared to other two-way consumer satellite services offered in Europe.
- What frequency bands are used for Tooway™?
Tooway™ operates in Ku- and Ka-band. Ka-band capacity is on Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD™ 6 satellite at 13° East, and Ku-band capacity on the company’s EUROBIRD™ 3 satellite at 33° East. In 2010 Eutelsat will deploy a dedicated Ka-band satellite with multiple spotbeams across Europe at its HOT BIRD™ neighbourhood (13 degrees East).
- What is Ka-band and what are its advantages?
Broadcast satellites principally operate in Ku-band frequencies that have the benefit of offering a broad geographic coverage through a single footprint. Ka-band, which is now beginning to be exploited over Europe, has other benefits:
- More Ka-band bandwidth is allocated to each satellite by the ITU (1 GHz per orbital slot)
- For dedicated two-way communications, spot beam technology allows extensive frequency reuse, effectively lowering the cost of the spectrum
- The larger amount of available bandwidth supports higher transmission rates, supporting higher peak speeds for individual subscribers
- The higher Ka-band frequencies allow smaller antennas to be employed for the subscriber equipment
- The blanket licensing requirements for subscriber premises equipment can be more easily met with low cost subscriber terminals
- Who handles the platform operations?
Located in the SkyPark teleport in Turin, Italy, the platform and hub operations for the Tooway network will be operated by Eutelsat’s broadband subsidiary Skylogic. Skylogic employs more than 50 people on site and operates 14 hubs using capacity on eight Eutelsat satellites. Dedicated staff will work at the teleport to maintain the highest availability of service.