Broadband Satellite due for launch by Avanti

The Avanti broadband satellite is due to be launched tomorrow which should be able to offer satellite broadband with up to 10Mb broadband speeds.

The satellite called “Hylas 1″ will be launched on Friday and then due to be operational in the first quarter of 2011.

Once operational Hylas 1 is expected to to provide satellite broadband internet access for 350,000 broadband users across Europe at any one time with broadband speeds between 2Mb-10Mb. Broadband packages will cost around £25 per month.

The satellite could deliver broadband speeds up to 200Mb but initially the speed limit will be limited to just 10Mb. Currently around a quarter of the capacity of the Hylas 1 has been pre-booked showing that it is popular and is likely to expand further in the future.

Satellite broadband could be the ideal way for many people living in remote and rural areas that struggle to get any sort of decent broadband connection to have access to a fast and reliable broadband connection, it will certainly help with the governments target of getting the whole of the UK covered with a universal 2Mb broadband connection.

Next year the Hylas 2 satellite is due to be launched, this will be even bigger than the Hylas 1 satellite and provide 8,280MHz of bandwidth compared to the 3,000MHz that is offered by the Hylas 1 satellite.