SATELLITE

COMMUNICATIONS
Overview of Satellite Systems
Outline
Features of Satellite
Communications
Satellite Missions
Satellite Services
Satellite Orbits
Frequency Allocation
Frequency Band Designation
Example Satellite Systems
INTELSAT
US Domsat
Polar Orbiting Satellites

Features of Satellite Communications
Very large areas of the earth are visible
from a satellite.
The satellite can form the star point of a
communications net linking together many
users simultaneously.
The same feature enables satellites to provide
communication links to remote communities in
sparsely populated areas.
Satellite signals ignore political boundaries as
well as geographic ones (which may or may
not be a desirable feature).

The cost is distance insensitive,
It costs about the same to provide a satellite
communications link over a short distance as
it does over a large distance on earth.
Satellite Missions
Satellite Services

Fixed satellite service
(FSS)
Broadcasting satellite
service (BSS)
Mobile satellite services
Navigational satellite
services
Meteorological satellite
services
Satellite Orbits
Molniya orbit
Frequency Allocation
Regulated by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Region 1: Europe, Africa, what was
formerly the Soviet Union, and
Mongolia

Region 2: North and South America
and Greenland

Region 3: Asia (excluding region 1
areas), Australia, and the southwest
Pacific.
Frequency Band Designations
The Ku band is the one used at present
for direct broadcast satellites, and it is
also used for certain fixed satellite
services.
The C band is used for fixed satellite
services, and no direct broadcast
services are allowed in this band.
The VHF band is used for certain mobile
and navigational services and for data
transfer from weather satellites.
The L band is used for mobile satellite
services and navigation systems.
Example Satellite Systems

INTELSAT
INTELSAT stands for International Telecommunications
Satellite.
The organization was created in 1964 and currently has
over 140 member countries.
These satellites are in geostationary orbit (orbit in the
earths equatorial plane and their position is specified by
their longitude).
It covers three main regions: the Atlantic Ocean Region (AOR), the Indian
Ocean Region (IOR), and the Pacific Ocean Region (POR).

INTELSAT VI Coverage Areas
US Domsat
Domsat is an abbreviation for domestic satellite.
Domestic satellites are used to provide various
telecommunications services, such as voice, data, and video
transmissions, within a country.
US Domsats which provide a direct-to-home television service
can be classified broadly as high power, medium power, and
low power.
The upper limit of EIRP is 60 dBW for the high-power category
and 37 dBW for the low-power category, a difference of 23 dB.
Components of a direct
broadcasting satellite
system.
Polar Orbiting
Satellites
Polar orbiting satellite:
(a) first pass; (b) second
pass, earth having
rotated 25. Satellite
period is 102 min.
Doppler shift in received
frequency on successive
passes of the satellite.
ELT (emergency locator
transmitter).
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