Even though satellite TV and satellite Internet both are reliant on orbiting satellites (geosynchronous) to send and receive signals, there are differences in the way they operate.
One Way Satellite Versus Two Way Satellite
When watching satellite television, you are not instructing the satellite to do something. You simply watch the screen. That is what is called “1-way” satellite.
However, while using a high speed satellite Internet service, you may want to make websites as well as view them. You always want to receive emails as well as send them. You want to view shopping sites as well as buy from them. Therefore, your Internet satellite dish must be able passively receive data and actively send data (two-way satellite).
Co-Location of Satellite Dishes
Since your TV satellite and your Internet satellite are not exactly the same, you cannot use one dish for both services. However, you can (and most likely will) co-locate the dishes, since they both need to face the same direction (south, toward the equator) to best communicated with the orbiting satellite.
Satellite TV Latency and Satellite Internet Latency
Severe weather can interfere with both your TV satellite and Internet satellite’s ability to send and receive signals, which can increase latency-the time it takes for a signal to go from your satellite dish at home to the satellite in the sky and then back down again. This could possibly delay transmissions.
Satellite television may have some latency, but not to the same degree as a high speed satellite Internet service. Using a two-way, instead of a one-way satellite, is the reason for this. If you are very demanding of your internet connection and download giant files, and view a handful of websites simultaneously you will experience more latency.
Technology surrounding satellites is extremely complex and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The hope is that you now understand that there are major differences between satellite Internet and satellite television.