Super-speed Internet satellite blasts off in Japan

[Snooperz]

(CNN) The Associated Press said the satellite would offer speeds of up to 1.2 gigabytes per second.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/23/japan.satellite/index.html

[Lead]

Will be cool in the future when that kind of thing is standard. If the internet can get that fast for everybody then we might see things like Netflix and YouTube in HD on your TV, as well as general computer use.

Although I wonder what the ping speeds and upstream are like.

[MasterOfPuppets]

Will be cool in the future when that kind of thing is standard. If the internet can get that fast for everybody then we might see things like Netflix and YouTube in HD on your TV, as well as general computer use.

Although I wonder what the ping speeds and upstream are like.
I'd wager they are the same. I'm pretty sure the beam from a satellite on earth to outer space and back, travels at the speed of light. So the ping would be around 1.5kms (or one and a half seconds.)

Upstream would probably depend on the type of satellite a user would have on the ground. I don't know if it would have to be the same grade as the one in space to be compatible, so I can't really comment.

[Lead]

One and a half seconds? Guess playing games would be out then. Maybe we should mod Gore so if we get Japanese players again, it will be able to display your ping in 4 digits instead of 3. :L