GEO
geo
[′gyō]GEO
[¦jē¦ē′ō or ′jē·ō]GEO
(1) Ground based. From the Greek word for "earth." See geocaching, geotagging and geodetic coordinates.(2) (Geostationary Earth Orbit) A communications satellite in orbit 22,282 miles above the equator. At this orbit, it travels at the same speed as the earth's rotation, thus appearing stationary. GEOs are excellent for TV and radio broadcasting, but produce distracting, half-second delays in interactive voice conversations because of the long round trip from earth and back. LEOs and MEOs, which are closer to the earth, are better for interactive services in real time. See geosynchronous, LEO, MEO and HEO.
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| GEOs Appear Stationary |
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| GEOs travel at earth speed and thus appear stationary. Closer to the earth, LEOs and MEOs constantly move across the land. |