Satellites have become integral to our society, but there was a time not too long ago when satellites were unheard of.

The history of satellite TV communications spans back to the creation of Sputnik, which was launched by the Russians in 1957; however, the first communications satellite didn't come until 1963. This satellite, the Syncom II, was launched by a consortium of business and government entities. Telephone providers began using satellites as land lines became overloaded and cable providers soon followed that trend. Satellite television was first broadcast over satellite on March 1, 1978, when the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) launched the Public Television Satellite System. As more broadcast networks adopted satellite communication for distribution, it became evident that everyone could receive satellite signals.

Satellite TV at Home

In the early 1980s, Direct To Home (DTH) satellite receivers were developed. These receivers allowed people to receive television programming in rural communities where cable television was previously unavailable. After learning the hard way that people could illegally receive satellite signals through the Television Receive Only (TVRO) system, satellite providers began to scramble their signals so that subscribers would then have to buy a decoder in order to unscramble the signal.

In 1980, the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) system was established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which sets the stage for today's satellite television market. Japan and Hong Kong were the first to be successful at launching satellites for the consumer market, but the U.S. was not far behind. In the 1990s, the first successful satellite provider was Primestar, followed soon after by DIRECTV and DISH Network. Now, it is common to find people in your neighborhood with satellite TV, and there are a number of options for people that prefer it over cable.

If you would like to read more information on the topic of satellite TV, you should check out the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) site on the history of satellite TV systems. Although the page was created for children, it offers good information for interested parties of any age.