This activity is designed to expose you to some of these options and how they might be used for your school or district. Likewise, many people tend to interchange or misuse the terms associated with telecommunications, which may inevitably lead to confusion. You should be able to use the proper terms associated with the following forms of telecommunications after you finish this section, as well as be more aware of your telecommunication options. Satellite Downlink for Programs Schools can downlink satellite broadcasts from a variety of sources with minimal hardware and on-site infrastructure. An antenna on earth, often called a satellite dish, receives the signal.
Satellite antennae come in a variety of sizes and shapes.
The least expensive type is a fixed dish antenna. These antennae usually cannot be moved and only receive signals from one satellite or set of satellites. Movable antennae have a motor mounted on the dish and can be moved, or aimed, toward different satellites. An electronic box in the home or school usually controls this movement. Satellite downlink equipment is relatively inexpensive compared to other telecommunication hardware and infrastructure, as a school only needs to receive a signal, rather than broadcast or send.