Can anybody hear me?!
Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station
Goonhilly is the largest satellite earth station in the world. It can transmit to any corner of the globe via space, using it??s 70 satellite dishes, and via undersea fibre optic cables. At any one moment in time Goonhilly simultaneously handles millions of international phone calls, emails, and TV broadcasts.
All about optics
Fibre optic cables form the backbone of today's telecommunications system and have played a major role in making the Internet available around the world. Fibre optic communication uses light to pass digital information from the sender to the receiver. Electric signals are converted into pulses of light, which are sent by a laser beam into a cable. At the receiving end, the light is detected by an optical receiver and converted back to an electrical signal.
A major role
At the Goonhilly visitor centre you can explore the history and science of international communications. You can discover why the amazing site exists and about the role it plays in your life.
Pictures courtesy of the Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station
Submitted by: Catherine Thomas, 21 August 2003
