GEO Satellites (Geostationary Earth Orbit)
GEO satellites are satellites located in a very high orbit, around 35,786 kilometers above Earth’s surface. At that altitude, the satellite moves following the speed of Earth’s rotation, so it appears as if it is fixed at one point in the sky when viewed from Earth. Because its position is fixed, ground antennas can be aimed at one point without needing to follow the satellite’s movement. This makes GEO satellites very suitable for television broadcasting, telecommunications, and internet networks across wide regions.
Because of their fixed position, receiving antennas on the ground do not need to move to follow the satellite. This makes GEO satellites very efficient for:
- Satellite television broadcasting
- Long-distance telecommunications
Satellite internet in remote areas
Military and government communications
With just one satellite, the coverage area can cover almost an entire continent. However, this very long distance causes latency or communication delay to become higher, because the signal must travel a long path from Earth to the satellite and back again. In addition, launching satellites into GEO orbit requires large costs and advanced technology. Even so, GEO satellites remain an important backbone in global communication systems today.
MEO Satellites (Medium Earth Orbit)
MEO satellites are satellites located in medium orbit at an altitude of 2,000-35,786 km above Earth’s surface. This orbit makes signals faster than GEO satellites, while still being able to reach wide areas. MEO satellites are mainly used for navigation and tracking, such as GPS and Galileo, because they can provide high accuracy for determining location.
Because MEO satellites continuously move around Earth, a constellation of several satellites is required so service remains stable across the entire region. MEO is an ideal choice for applications that require wide coverage, lower latency, and high reliability, especially in modern mobility.
LEO Satellites (Low Earth Orbit)
LEO satellites are satellites located in low Earth orbit, at an altitude of around 160 to 2,000 kilometers from Earth’s surface. Because the distance is very close, LEO satellites can send signals with very low latency and much faster response times compared to GEO and MEO satellites. These satellites move very quickly around Earth, and can even complete one orbit in around 90 to 120 minutes.
To keep service continuously available without interruption, hundreds to thousands of satellites working in a network or constellation are needed. This concept is very suitable for providing high-speed internet, especially in remote areas that are difficult to reach by fiber networks or cellular towers. One of the most popular examples of LEO use is Starlink, developed by SpaceX.
Differences Between GEO, MEO, and LEO Satellites
The main differences between GEO, MEO, and LEO satellites lie in orbital altitude, service coverage, latency, and the number of satellites needed to provide connectivity. GEO satellites are the highest, around 35,786 km from Earth’s surface, so they can cover very wide areas with only a few satellites. However, that altitude creates a greater communication delay. Unlike GEO, MEO satellites occupy medium orbit and offer a balance between coverage and latency, so they are widely used for navigation systems such as GPS or Galileo. Meanwhile, LEO satellites are the lowest, so communication response becomes very fast and is suitable for high-speed internet services such as Starlink. However, because each satellite’s coverage is smaller, hundreds to thousands of satellites are needed to cover the whole world. By understanding these differences, we can see that each satellite type has certain functions and advantages according to modern communication needs.