A method and system for providing high-speed, satellite-based information
delivery is described. Improved communication channel efficiency is
accomplished by employing an asymmetric data flow. The high bandwidth
channel capacity of digital satellite systems is used for the download of
large volumes of data. While relatively low speed communication channels
are used for upstream data requests. The use of separate channels for
upstream data and downloaded data provides an increased efficiency of use
for typical internet and other electronic information service
subscribers. A typical user in such systems generally makes relatively
short information requests. These requests are then followed by large
amounts of information being transferred to the user's computer in
response to the request. The volume of data being downloaded often causes
a capacity overload of typically used land lines. This invention solves
this problem, without becoming prohibitively expensive, by employing
digital satellite dish receivers to receive the high volume of downloaded
data and using the relatively low speed communication channels low volume
upstream requests. Moreover, this invention is designed to interface with
all common communication devices as well as being designed to operate on
and with all common computing platforms.