WHAT IS LATENCY?
Latency is the technical word that describes how long it takes data to get from one place to another. You can measure it with a ping. Your computer sends a small packet of data to a server, the server sends it back again and you time how long it takes. Latency varies depending on three things: how fast data can physically travel through the network, which route it takes and whether it has to queue. Speed through the network is a big problem for satellite internet. Most communications satellites are in geostationary orbit, 22,300 miles above Earth. To get from your computer to a server and back again, data has to make that long trip four times. By putting satellites in low-earth orbit, Starlink is shortening the journey, slashing travel times and cutting latency right down. This should make high-speed activities, like streaming and gaming, possible.