Tooway Satellite Internet Plans and Features Explained

Tooway offers a range of satellite internet plans to suit different needs and budgets.

The plans are divided into three categories: Essential, Premium, and Business.

Tooway's Essential plan has a download speed of 6 Mbps and an upload speed of 1 Mbps.

This plan is ideal for basic internet use such as browsing, emailing, and social media.

The Premium plan offers a higher download speed of 10 Mbps and an upload speed of 2 Mbps.

This plan is suitable for streaming, online gaming, and heavy internet usage.

Tooway's Business plan provides a download speed of 20 Mbps and an upload speed of 4 Mbps.

This plan is designed for businesses that require a high-speed internet connection for multiple users.

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Tooway offers a range of packages, including Tooway 2, 10, 25, 40, Extra, and Infinite, which provide downstream rates of up to 22 Mbit/s and upstream rates of up to 6 Mbit/s.

The entry-level Small package provides a more modest 2 Mbit/s downstream and 1 Mbit/s upstream, with a 2GB volume (FAP).

A major limitation of satellite communications is the round-trip time, which can be as much as half a second due to the double hop between earth and space.

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The Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) is a crucial part of the Tooway satellite broadband system. It consists of an Outdoor Unit (ODU) and Indoor Unit (IDU).

The ODU is a parabolic satellite antenna manufactured by ViaSat, typically 60-70 cm in diameter. Its unique design allows for the reception of both interactive services in Ka band and broadcast services (DTH) in Ku band with the same ODU.

The ViaSat SurfBeam antenna employs a frequency selective sub-reflector that enables the reception of multiple frequency ranges. This feature simplifies the setup and installation process.

The installation of the ODU is simplified by automated tools for antenna alignment and commissioning. However, it's recommended to contact a certified Tooway installer for proper installation.

Poor alignment of the dish system results in higher error rates and lower broadband speed. The use of circular polarization further simplifies the setup and reduces installation time and cost.

The IDU is a satellite modem providing a plug-and-play Ethernet interface with DHCP. It's manufactured by ViaSat and offers a Wi-Fi router connection for wireless Internet access in the home.

LED indicators on the modem front inform on satellite reception and transmission statuses as well as network activities. The IDU is connected to the ODU using two coaxial cables.

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Tooway packages, such as Tooway 2, 10, 25, 40, Extra, and Infinite, offer downstream rates of up to 22 Mbit/s and upstream rates of up to 6 Mbit/s.

The entry-level Small package provides bit-rates of 2 Mbit/s downstream and 1 Mbit/s upstream, with a volume (FAP) of about 2GB.

Satellite communications have a round-trip time of roughly a half a second due to the double hop between earth and space.

This delay can be unsuitable for real-time critical applications, including many games, but is sufficient to support other applications like VoIP.

Tooway domestic consumers are subject to a 1/50 contention rate, which can result in heavily degraded performance during peak loading hours, typically from 17:00 GMT onwards.

This can manifest as pausing, buffering, and heavily pixellated pictures, especially for applications like streaming media services.

Eutelsat's Satellite Broadband offers speeds of 2Mbps down and 384Kbps up, with prices starting at £30 a month.

The service uses a satellite dish on the side of your building, eliminating the need for a phone line for both upload and download.

Prices vary depending on the distributor, with Avonline charging £600 for the satellite hardware and £200 for installation.

Online gaming is not recommended due to latency issues, making it difficult to play games that require quick reflexes.

The Eutelsat Hotbird 6 satellite, launched in December 2010, is used to provide the service, which offers 20Mbps download speeds in areas where subscribers are only currently getting 2Mbps.

Tooway packages with 20Mbps download speeds start at £35, including equipment rental, per month, and go up to £80 depending on the consumption limits.

The service is "triple-play ready" and is working with distributors and installers, including Avonline Broadband and Satellite Broadband UK.

In the Czech Republic, the service offers speeds of up to 50Mbit/s download and 10Mbit/s upload, with monthly data limits that can affect speed if exceeded.

The service uses the Ka band of spectrum, allowing for bi-directional links and faster upload speeds compared to previous satellite services.

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Tooway uses the Ka band for its satellite technology, which operates at a frequency of 27.5 GHz to 30.0 GHz for uplink and 17.7 GHz to 20.2 GHz for downlink.

This allows for smaller end-user terminals due to the smaller beam size. Smaller beams also enable more efficient use of satellite power and improved signal reception.

The technology behind Tooway's satellite internet is based on ViaSat SurfBeam, which uses DVB-S2 Variable Coding and Modulation to optimize signal transmission.

This approach does not require a return channel and provides a static efficiency for each terminal, improving waveform efficiency.

Tooway's IPTV service uses H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) for video coding, allowing for the transmission of the same video with different resolutions or bit-rates.

For example, a high definition program can be received by a terminal in clear sky conditions, while a standard definition program can be received by a terminal affected by fading conditions during rain.

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The internal unit of Tooway's modem has a reception range of 300 to 800 MHz and a transmission range of 1,800 to 2,300 MHz.

It also features adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) to ensure high availability of the satellite connection even in poor atmospheric conditions.

The modem's power and speed are automatically adjusted, and it has a web-based graphical interface for easy management.

Here are some key specifications of the internal unit: