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Technology Stocks : Loral Space & Communications -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: torquatus who wrote (4175)	8/8/1998 4:35:00 PM
From: brian h	Respond to of 10852

torquatus, Here is the answer to your question. A dish should be about 24" to 30" large. cyberstar.com What equipment is required to use this service? A multimedia PC, a satellite receiver PC card, such as the one developed by Adaptec, a small satellite receiver dish (antenna), CyberStar software and an Internet service provider. For example, in a small department of a company, you can configure the CyberStar solution two ways: A server can be outfitted with the Adaptec satellite receiver card and each PC would send files via the server, or Each PC in the department can be fitted with an Adaptec satellite receiver card. Each PC would have a direct link to the dish (antenna) and will allow the PC to send a broadcast request at any time. How does the CyberStar service work? There are several pieces to the solution: the PC or server, the content, and satellite access. The PC or server is installed with a satellite receiver card. The content can be from several sources including an Intranet, Internet, or original files located on the user's PC or server. What is an example of how this service works? Distance learning or corporate training. Several leading universities from around the country are allowing students to earn MBA degrees via distance learning. Currently, these students communicate to each other and their professors using a variety of methods including e-mail, conference calls and real-time video. Satellite-based distance learning will be taught in a live classroom setting that will record the visual and audio of the room, student and professor interaction, electronic blackboards (write, draw, create) and done in real time. With satellites, educators will gain more control and contact with students. How is satellite transmission better than land transmission? Satellite transmission provides the best value for broadcast (multicasting), is ubiquitous, and complements all land-based systems. Satellites also use secure access technology to ensure the highest level of security available today. How will the service be provided? The organization service will initially be provided in the U.S. using Ku-band transponder capacity on Loral Skynet's Telstar 5 satellite. The downlink broadcast will be high-speed satellite delivery while the return path will rely on land-based connections. What is the capacity of the system? The capacity of each satellite is determined by the size of the band. CyberStar will utilize the TeleStar 5, Ku band satellite. Ku band can easily transmit six gigabits of information per minute. Do you adhere to industry standards? CyberStar uses transmission control protocol/Internet Protocol (IP) (TCP/IP) which is the industry standard for communications protocol to transmit data over networks. We also deploy digital video broadcasting (DVB) and Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG-2) for video transmissions standards. What technological challenge does the delivery of multiple megabits per second present to the subscriber? PCs can only handle six Mbps and the backplanes only three Mbps. Intel is discussing future chips that have a higher data rate on the backplane. So the next generation of PCs will begin to be much more satellite friendly. Does weather affect delivery? Yes, depending on the frequency used, satellites may have some interference from heavy rain. The satellite link provides margin for operation through worst case rain conditions. Performance degradation is very gradual. For extremely high reliable, "mission critical" application, a larger receive antennae can ensure highly reliable performance. Does CyberStar have a leasing program? Due to the low cost of initial setup for the CyberStar service we do not have an equipment leasing program. If a CyberStar dish is purchased today, will it work when CyberStar switches to two-way satellite services? The transition to two-way communication via satellite will be transparent to the user. The initial dish purchased with the CyberStar service will work with all phases of the service. What kind of security measures do you take? Satellites offer one of the most secure methods of transmitting data available. Conditional access technology, which validates the identity of a user, is also used to prevent unauthorized access to content on a network. What does Global Broadband Services mean? CyberStar provides a service that is unlike anything available today. CyberStar provides unique, rich content that is delivered via satellite and the highest speed and most efficient cost available. CyberStar's service provides multicasting, file transfer and high-speed Internet capabilities using our unique content or your own proprietary data. Do I need an Internet Service Provider (ISP)? Yes, in order to request information, a return or backchannel is required. How much faster is CyberStar than land-based solutions? First, let's talk about the various broadband solutions you can use for disseminating electronic information. The traditional or land-based options include ISDN, xDSL, cable modems and fiber optics. These options range in speed from up to 10 kilobits per second to 100 megabits per second. Even though some of the speeds are fast, these solutions suffer from infrastructure limitations, cost and configuration challenges. Satellites offer speeds of 27 to 45 megabits per second. CyberStar will be available "on demand," so unlike landlines, you only pay when you are using it. The following chart shows speed for land-based technologies: System Speed Standard Phone Line .03 Mbps ISDN . 11 Mbps ADSL 1.5 Mbps T-1 1.5 Mbps Cable up to 4 Mbps Brian H.