Satellite data broadcasting-an end to the world-wide-wait?

Data broadcasting is an alternative to the Information Superhighway that offers most of the functionality of cable at much lower costs by exploiting the existing direct broadcast satellite (DBS) infrastructure to distribute electronic content to home and business personal computers (PCs). With information transfer rates more than 1,000 times faster than land-based connections, data broadcasting is the quickest and cheapest way for individuals and enterprises to download multimedia information that may include text, images, video, animation and even CD quality sound. All that is required for the end user is a low cost PC board that takes minutes to install. In effect, data broadcasting is the adaptation of the TV broadcast paradigm to data. Information gathered from a discrete set of providers is packaged at a central point, scheduled and then transmitted to the consumer. Consumers consult an on-screen menu for data and then select what information they wish to receive.