PageSat's PC-Sat satellite data system is the smart way for Internet service providers, BBS operators and organizations to receive virtually a complete Usenet newsfeed. Smart because it can take up to 25-30 percent of a 56K circuit just to receive a full newsfeed. Multiple NNTP newsfeeds can take up even more bandwidth. PageSat currently receives over 10 NNTP feeds, some of which are major backbone feeds such as DEC-WRL and CERFnet. PageSat will be adding more incoming feeds over the next few months. This saves your site from having to manage all these feeds while providing a fast up-to-date feed that will out perform your competitor or get you that item someone posted for sale faster than virtually any other means.
Save money by eliminating costly dial up UUCP connectivity for inbound traffic.
This satellite Usenet newsfeed allows a user to receive a satellite delivered, full newsfeed with all news hierarchies. PageSat, Inc. has designed a method for transmitting a continuous newsfeed 24 hours a day directly to your site.
In addition PageSat can provide E-mail to your site including your customers and downstream sites. The cost is a one-time $30.00 fee to register your site with a fully qualified domain name such "yoursite.com."
The data is processed, spooled, and fed from our UNIX computers to the PageSat owned and operated uplink facility. The signal is then multiplexed with a number of other PageSat signals and upconverted to a transponder on GE Americom's Ku-band K2 domestic satellite and broadcast to the entire continental United States.
PageSat's Usenet newsfeed service covers the continental U.S. and parts of southern Canada and northern Mexico. Coverage in Europe and Asia is planned some time in the future.
On the average, we are delivering up to 160+ megabytes a day of Usenet news -- 24 hours a day -- 7 days a week.
Hardware consists of a .63m (or larger where required) parabolic Ku-band antenna system which includes our high stability low noise block converter (LNB). A high quality piece of RG59 coax is included and brought indoors to the PCSAT 100 Wireless Usenet Data Terminal. Antenna alignment is easily completed via a 1Khz reference beacon tone that PageSat continually broadcasts. The signal is then selected to the proper channel using the PCSAT 100's front panel switch. The PCSAT 100 receives the satellite data feed and demodulates the data while converting it from sync to async. The data is then fed into the host as standard GZIP compressed batches. The data is fed via an RS-232 serial port via a user supplied standard RS232 cable to your computer.
Any multi-user, multitasking host can be used. Any 286 or higher processor running DOS is acceptable. The most recent release of the DOS software has been significantly enhanced and now allows for wireless E-mail delivered directly to your domain. The DOS receive software is available via a floppy disk. There are also third party platforms available that support DOS. Virtually all forms of UNIX such as Sun OS,BSD,BSDI,SCO, System V release 4 and Linux. Windows and OS-2 can be handled in a window. Development is underway for the Amiga.
The PC-Sat system is an open standard and the specs are available via ftp at pagesat.net in ftp/pub/satellite directories for developers.
Effective Oct 1, 1994 PageSat enhanced this protocol to provide 8 bit binary transmission of data. This will allow enhanced services for Fido, weather and other services.
Complete installation is simple and easy, and can be completed in as little as one hour with ordinary screwdriver and pliers.
The PageSat system is secure. No one can break into your system through the satellite link. This makes it ideal for high security installations that cannot allow physical network or telephone links into the host system.
Costs of the system are low. The complete system including hardware, software, and documentation can be purchased for as low as $695.00 plus a one year service fee of $360. Thereafter, there is a nominal monthly fee of $30.00.
There are currently over 450 Internet service providers and BBS's nationwide that are utilizing the PageSat system. The PageSat file format is directly supported by many of the most popular BBS software packages. There are also various third party software packages available. Also, as a registered common carrier PageSat places no restrictions or added charges on redistribution of the Usenet newsfeed. The news stream is yours to do with as you please.
For more information and a complete literature package containing specification sheets, and a system overview, please E-mail your postal address, your Fax number and your voice number to info@pagesat.net or call us at (415) 854-5262.
P.O. Box 51824 Palo Alto , C
A 94303