The rapid growth of satellite network operators (SNOs) has revolutionized broadband communications, enabling global connectivity and bridging the digital divide. As these networks expand, it is important to evaluate their performance and efficiency. This paper presents the first comprehensive study of SNOs. We take an opportunistic approach and devise a methodology which allows to identify public network measurements performed via SNOs. We apply this methodology to both M-Lab and RIPE public datasets which allowed us to characterize low level performance and footprint of up to 18 SNOs operating in different orbits. Finally, we identify and recruit paid testers on three popular SNOs (Starlink, HughesNet, and ViaSat) to evaluate the performance of popular applications like web browsing and video streaming.

翻译：卫星网络运营商的快速发展彻底变革了宽带通信领域，实现了全球互联并弥合了数字鸿沟。随着这些网络持续扩展，评估其性能与效率变得至关重要。本文首次提出对卫星网络运营商的全面研究。我们采用机会主义方法，设计了一套能够识别通过卫星网络运营商进行的公共网络测量的技术方案。将该方法应用于M-Lab与RIPE两个公开数据集后，成功表征了运行在不同轨道上的多达18家卫星网络运营商的底层性能与覆盖范围。最终，我们在三家主流卫星网络运营商（Starlink、HughesNet、ViaSat）中招募并委托付费测试者，对网页浏览、视频流媒体等典型应用的性能进行了评估。