subject: Satellite Internet along the America-Mexico Border [print this page] Satellite Internet along the America-Mexico Border
The border between the United States and Mexico is a source of great debate among Americans. No matter where you stand on the immigration debate, the fact remains that it is becoming more important to confront. At 1,969 miles long, it is one of the longest borders between two countries, just behind the America-Canada border. It is also the most frequently crossed international border in the world, being cross by over 250 million people each year. Since it is so large and so frequently crossed, it is very difficult to control.
Not surprisingly, it is a border of great importance financially. The relationship between Mexico and the United States is mutually beneficial and of extreme importance. The United States is Mexico's largest trade partner. Mexico is the United States' second largest. Annual trade between the two countries is currently far greater than $300 billion a year. Over 70 percent of Mexico's factories are in border towns, emphasizing the importance of the American consumer to the Mexican economy. Yet it is certainly not one-sided. America imported over $150 billion in Mexican goods last year.
The topic most talked about, though, is the movement of people. Immigration from Mexico to the United States is continuing to grow. How to manage the situation from the side of the Americans has become a hot national topic. One thing for certain, however, is that for safety reasons, the existence of border patrol should continue. Currently over 90 percent of the United States Border Patrol agents are stationed along the America-Mexico border, with over 1,200,000 apprehensions of immigrants each year.
When the U.S. Border Patrol agents are stationed along the sparsely populated American border, they are increasingly equipped with the latest technology. While they generally get used devices and vehicles from the U.S. Armed Forces, they are nonetheless some of the best equipment used in the world by a border patrol.
One technology commonly used in the stations and work huts of border patrol agents is satellite Internet. While the Mexican side is heavily populated, the American side remains one of the most thinly populated areas in the United States. Without satellite Internet broadband, the stations would be relying on primitive technology to perform one of the most important jobs in the country. Instead, at a very minimum, the agents stay connected through the use of satellite Internet along with military-based handheld transceivers. It enables them to coordinate efforts along the deserted stretches of the border.
While the debate rages on within American borders on how to deal with the immigration issue, both legally and on the ground at the border, the border patrol agents continue their work. Their efforts are hardly seen, but always felt. Their stations are often far from American society. Yet their efforts are expressed through a safer interior. Through satellite Internet and many other technological advances, they protect citizens living along the border as well as work to maintain the integrity of the international border. With the technology they own, they are the best-equipped border patrol in the world; and they continue to make technological advances to perform their job better.
