ComNet

The Communications Network (commonly referred to as ComNet) is the digital information structure that connects people and planets to each other in the same vein as the internet does today. It is composed of two different systems that interact with each other to form the overarching ComNet.

SetNet
The Settlement Network (SetNet) is what most resembles our internet. It is a common and standardised system that is developed alongside planetary settlements from its very beginning, acting as a unified system for all electronic communications such as radio. As a planetary SetNet is part of the creation and expansion of all planetary settlements, it can be found on every populated planets in the local region, where it is available to all residents as a free-to-use service.

StarNet
As SetNet relies on the relatively instantaneous travel of information on a single planet, it is not suitable for interstellar communications - for that there is the Star Network (StarNet). StarNet is a more abstract term that denotes the process of storing and sending digital information between star systems and their SetNets, which can be done in different ways, but the general function is the same: information (such as a message) from one SetNet is stored on a starship or probe that then physically travels to a different system and uploads this information to the local SetNet. In this way, digital communications can be achieved across vast distances, even if it takes a while for the information to travel. The StarNet is maintained in two ways: Passively through the use of ship-born ACS (Automated Courier System), and directly through the use of dedicated courier ships or probes.

An ACS is a device that is often found mounted on star ships that regularily travel between star systems. It is an automated service that will automatically receive SetNet information in the system they are currently in, and when reaching another star system it will automatically transmit this information to the local SetNet if it is the intended receiver. Ships carrying ACS are often rewarded by the populated planets through minor tax breaks on things such as fuel and tariffs, and is free and automatic to use for any person with SetNet access.

Dedicated couriers may be required for when the information being sent is of sensitive or valuable nature, and/or if the SetNets involved are not usually connected with regular starship traffic. For such occassions, there are various services (private and governmental) available to deliver SetNet information to a specific system without having to rely on a ship carrying ACS to eventually end up at the intended destination.