var technobabble = "Technobabble– The fact is, geeky technical jargon comes with the territory of discussing broadband satellite Internet. So whenever you come across a word with a 
icon next to it, just roll your cursor over the question mark to get a better understanding of the term.";
var voip = "VoIP– Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) asd is commonly used to refer to the transmission of voice calls across the Internet. VoIP has seen a dramatic growth in popularity over the past few years. Everyone from individuals to large companies is moving to VoIP to reduce the cost of telephone calls.";
var latency = "Latency– The time delay between sending a request and receiving a response. It refers to the total round trip travel time over a circuit. (Some people use the term to mean the time to traverse the connection in one direction, not both.) Lower latency is preferred because a low latency connection will be more responsive to web browsing, voice and many other applications.";
var jitter = "Jitter– The meaning of this term varies depending upon who is using it and the context in which it is employed. Some people refer to jitter as the variation in the latency of a connection over time. Others refer to jitter as the unwanted variation in the rate at which data packets arrive at their destination. Regardless of definition, lower values for jitter are always preferred to high values. VoIP service is negatively impacted by increased jitter. Applications such as email are unaffected by jitter.";
var streaming = "Streaming video–Video that is delivered to the viewer on a constant basis. Streaming video continues to gain in popularity as access to high-speed broadband connections has increased.";
var videoConferencing = "Video conferencing– Technology which allows two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. Video conferencing usually refers to the interaction of groups rather than individuals (videophone).";
var vlan = "VLAN– For starters, LAN = local area network (e.g. a network within your business or office). A virtual LAN can connect devices as if they were all on the same local area network, regardless of their physical configuration or location. Through the use of VLANs Skycasters can segregate your traffic to provide enhanced security or permit communications only between designated locations.";
var vsat = "VSAT– Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) refers to what most people call their “dish.” VSAT units are two-way satellite ground stations with dishes that typically range from 75cm to 1.2m in diameter. Skycasters offers VSAT antennas up to 1.8m in diameter, depending on the application.";
var vpn = "VPN– A virtual private network (VPN) is a private data network that uses a public infrastructure such as the Internet to communicate between locations. VPNs maintain privacy through the use of security procedures and tunneling protocols. The popularity of VPNs arises from the fact that VPNs give companies the communications capabilities of a private, dedicated connection, but at much lower cost.";
var ip = "IP-based satellite– Skycasters uses the only satellite technology that employs IP protocol over the space segment. Other satellite systems encapsulate the IP traffic in some other format before transmitting it, requiring the process to be reversed at the other end. Our approach saves processing time–reducing latency–and improves the performance of the connection.";
var antennaSystem = "6.3M VertexRSI antenna system– Manufactured by General Dynamics in Kilgore, TX, these large dishes at the Skycasters teleport are used to transmit and receive information over the satellite link. Each of our three dishes are 20’ 8” (6.3m) in diameter, and 2.5 stories high. The extreme size of these antennas allows the remote VSAT units to be relatively small and inexpensive.";
var teleport = "Skycasters teleport(s)– The teleport is the earth station that controls communications across the space link. It is composed of 6.3m VertexRSI antennae, transmitters, control systems, redundant links to the Internet, plus auxiliary power and HVAC. The teleport is the heart of the Skycasters satellite Internet system.";
var primaryAntenna = "Skycasters primary antennas– We have three primary antennas–two of which are online at any time, the third provides redundancy. (We’re really big on backups here at Skycasters.) At 20’ 8” in diameter (6.3m), these antennas compensate for the smaller remote units installed at the user’s location. ";
var backbone = "U.S. Internet backbone– This consists of the main connections of the Internet throughout the United States. The backbone is a large collection of interconnected, high-capacity, commercial, government, and academic data routes and core routers that carry data. They connect with other countries and continents around the world.";
var redundantFiberConnections = "Redundant fiber connections– Sometimes one Internet connection isn’t enough. In order to provide the bulletproof service that our customers have come to expect, we maintain multiple connections from our data center to the U.S. Internet backbone. Any one of our connections is capable of carrying the entire load, of course, but it’s always prudent to have a spare. Or two. And each of our connections follows a different physical path away from our network operations center, just in case the unforeseen happens.";
var dataCenter = "Skycasters data center– The facility in which Skycasters houses computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. It includes redundant or backup power supplies, redundant data communications connections, redundant environmental controls, and of course, plenty of security. Don’t miss this if you come for the tour. If you don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to build one of your own, don’t worry, we’ll let you share ours.";
var ups = "Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)– A device which maintains a continuous supply of electric power to connected equipment by supplying power from a separate source–typically a storage battery–when utility power is not available. Bigger is better, and we have two: Our 3 antenna systems are fed from a MGE Galaxy 4000 65kVa UPS, while our data center, network operations center and technical support department are fed from a Chloride EDP70plus 24kVa UPS. There’s enough backup here to power several homes.";
var dieselGenerator = "Skycasters backup diesel fuel-powered generator– In the event that electrical power to the teleport were interrupted, Skycasters uninterruptible power supply circuits are fed from an auto transfer switch and self-start American-made Caterpillar Olympian 90kW generator that will assume load within 7 seconds of a loss of grid power. We maintain 36 hours of fuel onsite, with replenishment delivery priority 24/7, 365 days a year. In fact, we are such big believers in redundancy, we have a second generator coming in as a backup to our backup (Q4 2008).";
var indoorSatellite = "Skycasters indoor satellite modem– The device at the customer location which manages the transfer of data over the satellite link. Based on automated commands from our network operations center, the modem can increase or decrease transmit power to compensate for weather, change priority on your link to improve performance for your VoIP phone, or even tell us if it’s getting too hot. Don’t expect this kind of intelligence from a consumer-grade satellite modem.";
var dishLocation = "Satellite dish at customer’s location– Typically .98-1.8m in diameter, this unit is made of steel or a wire mesh interior and fiberglass exterior. The dish collects and focuses inbound radio waves much the same way a telescope’s mirror intensifies light from distant stars. It also keeps outbound signals tightly focused so the signal to the satellite remains strong.";
var geostationary = "Geostationary satellite in outer space– In a geostationary or geosynchronous orbit 22,236 miles above the earth’s surface, a satellite completes one revolution in exactly the same amount of time that it takes the Earth to rotate one full turn on its axis. Thus, the satellite always appears at the same position above the Earth. This eliminates the need for satellite dishes to track the satellite, which greatly simplifies their construction and cost.";
var noc = "Skycasters network operations center (NOC)– The facility which controls all communications over the satellite link. The NOC monitors for power failures, satellite signal issues and other performance issues that may affect the network. Skycasters’ NOC is located in Akron, OH.";
var g28 = "G-28– Galaxy 28 is a Ku band communications satellite located at 89 West longitude. It went into service in 2006. Skycasters provides most of its North American service on G-28.";
var t14 = "T-14– Telestar 14 is a Ku band communications satellite located at 63 West longitude. It went into service in 2004. Skycasters uses Telestar14 primarily to provide service to Central America and the Caribbean.";
var throughput = "Throughput– A measurement of the total volume of data delivered. This is different from the speed at which the data is delivered. Skycasters refers to allowable throughput in terms of megabytes or gigabytes per month included with your plan. The best analogy for allowable throughput is the number of minutes or text messages included with your cell phone, depending on your service plan.";
var cir = "Committed information rate (CIR)– It’s all about speed. Real-world, actual speed. The CIR connection speed is the speed at which we guarantee data can be transferred. With Skycasters, you can expect the ability to receive at least 110% of the stated CIR speeds at least 90% of the time, if not more. Other providers simply promise speeds “up to” a certain amount–speeds which you may rarely see.";
var emptyPromises = "Other companies’ empty promises– Considering alternatives or comparison-shopping? Good for you. Make sure you ask lots of questions about actual, guaranteed speed (not “up-to” speed). Ask about latency. Ask if they own their teleports, and who controls their network. We love educated customers.";
var parkAndDeploy = "Park-and-deploy– A term used to describe a mobile satellite system that’s mounted on vehicle or trailer. Our park-and-deploy solutions can be driven or towed directly to a location where communications is required and set up with the touch of a button. No degree in rocket science required.";
var wellData = "Real-time streaming well data– Safe and efficient oil and gas well drilling requires the ability to monitor various aspects of conditions below ground. Special instruments are used to constantly measure and transmit data from the bottom of the hole to headquarters for evaluation. Skycasters gives you the reliable solutions you need to do it all.";
var isp = "Internet Service Provider (ISP)– A company that provides Internet access to their customers. We’d be honored to be yours.";
var transponders = "Transponders– The communications channels on a satellite that both receive and retransmit data. Modern satellites carry between 36 and 72 separate transponders all running at different frequencies.";
var soughtAfter = "Most sought after satellites in the sky– High population areas such as North America create strong demand for satellite coverage. So the satellites above these locations need both the strongest signals and the most ideal position in space to deliver great service. Skycasters operates on two of the finest satellites available: G-28 and T-14.";
var terrestrialBackup = "Traditional terrestrial backup– Many backup connections operate on the same physical telecommunications infrastructure as the primary connection, and are fed from the same provider. And even if the backup connection is from a different Internet service provider, chances are pretty good the two connections come through the same conduit into the building. So in the event of a disaster or unforeseen interruption in service, your communications will come to a screeching halt. Unless, of course, you have Skycasters, the most reliable backup solution on the market. ";
var terrestrialNetwork = "Traditional terrestrial network– Simply put, a terrestrial network consists of a lot of wires on the ground. Most land-based connections run over optical fiber, but copper wire is still used, too. Especially along the last mile from the fiber to the end user. Depending on which technologies are available at your location, cable, DSL and T-1 can be used to control communications over the terrestrial network link.";
var consumerGrade = "Consumer-grade satellite companies– In the consumer market, some satellite service providers choose low cost over quality. They often provide unreliable equipment to their customers and their networks are slow and overcrowded. They only talk about “up-to” speed as opposed to guaranteed speed. And what’s worse, these companies will try to sell these very same consumer-grade systems in the commercial segment. Only Skycasters can meet your business’ needs and give you expert answers on latency, VPN compatibility and VoIP.";
var tdma = "Time Division Multiple Access– A form of time-division multiplexing, allows several users to access the same frequency channel by separating the signal into discrete time slots.";
var ipsec = "Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)– Authenticates and encrypts each IP packet of a data stream. While optional for IPv4, being mandatory for IPv6, it is most commonly used to secure IPv4 traffic.";
var asic = "Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)– An integrated circuit, or IC, that is designed for a single purpose. A "secure ASIC" may be a cryptographic memory chip containing the master key.";
var jitterBuffer = "Jitter Buffer– In VoIP, a jitter buffer is a shared data area where voice packets can be collected, stored, and sent to the voice processor in evenly spaced intervals. The jitter buffer, intentionally delays the arriving packets so that the end user experiences a clear connection with very little sound distortion. There are two kinds of jitter buffers, static and dynamic. A static jitter buffer is hardware-based and is configured by the manufacturer. A dynamic jitter buffer is software-based and can be configured by the network administrator to adapt to changes in the network's delay.";
var ata = "Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA)– An analog telephone adapter (ATA) is a device used to connect a standard telephone to a computer or network so that the user can make calls over the Internet. ATAs are typically cheaper than specialized VoIP phones that connect directly to a computer's Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.";
var UDP = "UDP– UDP (User Datagram Protocol), like TCP is a communications protocol. UDP like TCP uses the IP to actually get a data unit from one computer to another. Unlike TCP, however, it doesn't provide sequencing of the packets that the data arrives in. As a result, it uses less bandwidth. This means that the application program that uses UDP must be able to make sure that the entire message has arrived and is in the right order.";