All private WAN technologies discussed so far used either copper or fiber optics media. What if an organization needed connectivity in a remote location where there are no service providers that offer WAN service?
Very small aperture terminal (VSAT) is a solution that creates a private WAN using satellite communications. A VSAT is a small satellite dish similar to those used for home Internet and TV. VSATs create a private WAN while providing connectivity to remote locations.
Specifically, a router connects to a satellite dish which is pointed to a service provider’s satellite in a geosynchronous orbit in space. The signals must travel approximately 35,786 kilometers (22,236 miles) to the satellite and back.
The example in the figure displays a VSAT dish on the roofs of the buildings communicating with a satellite dish thousands of kilometers away in space.