Using LEO satellites to provide Education For All.
Education For All, is a long term ambition of the United Nations (UN).
However the target of every child having access to Primary School education by 2015, was not achieved.
LEO
LEO is short for Low Earth Orbit.
It is a type of communications satellite, that as the name suggests is in a low orbit.
LEO satellites circle the earth, and are wirelessly or optically linked.
This provides total communications coverage, wherever you are located in the world.
One popular use for LEO satellites, is the provision of satellite Internet.
Companies like Starlink and Oneweb, provide such services, but there are many other LEO satellite operators.
Satellites For Education
It is possible to connect to the Internet, using ‘traditional’ satellites.
Traditional satellites are much further away from the earth, and cover a large area of the earths surface.
This surface coverage, is known as the satellite footprint.
Being further away from the earth, results in signal delay.
This is because radio signals, take a small amount of time to travel.
As traditional satellites may well be in an orbit 36,000 miles from earth, then there is a delay.
This causes issues when trying to use it for e-learning, which may involve live video connections.
LEO has less signal delay, as the satellites are only hundreds of miles above the earth, not thousands.
So know hopefully you understand that LEO satellites can provide reliable online learning, and worldwide Internet coverage.
Using LEO Satellites to provide education for all
Further Reading Links:
Publications | Global Education Monitoring Report (unesco.org)