LECTURE NOTES

ON

SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

Final year B. Tech

VIII semester (EX1824)
Miss. P. S. Tanurkar
Assistant Professor
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
ENGINEERING

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING,KARAD

(An autonomous institute of Govt. of Maharashtra)
VIDYANAGAR, KARAD, 415124 DIST SATARA
Phone – (02164) 326632, 272414/15 Fax No. – (02164)271713
Website: www.gcekarad.ac.in Email : [email protected]
 Syllabus

Course Objectives:
 The student should be able to:
 Describe the fundamental concept in the field of satellite communication.
 Know how to place satellite in orbit.
 Design the satellite power budget.
 Understand and evaluate satellite subsystem which used in Space segment.

Unit I
Basic Principles: General features, frequency allocation for satellite
services, basic concept of satellite communication
Earth Station: Introduction, earth station subsystem, different types of earth
stations

Unit II
Satellite Orbits: Orbital Mechanics, Look angle determination, Orbital
perturbation, Orbital determination, Launchers and Launch vehicles, Orbital
effects in communication system performance.

Unit III
Satellite Subsystem (Space Segment):Satellite Subsystem, Attitude
and control system(AOCS), Telemetry, Tracking, Command and Monitoring,
Power systems, Communication subsystem, Satellite antennas, Equipment
reliability and space qualification.

Unit IV
Satellite Links : Introduction, general link design equation, system noise
temperature, uplink design, downlink design, complete link design, Design of
specified C/N: Combining C/N and C/I value in Satellite Links.
 Unit V
Satellite Networks: Reference architecture for satellite networks, basic
characteristics of satellite networks, Onboard connectivity with transparent
processing, analogue transparent switching, Frame organization, Window
organization, On board connectivity with beam scanning

Unit VI
The Role and Application of Satellite Communication
C-Band and Ku- Band Home satellite TV, Digital DBS TV, Satellite Radio
Broadcasting, Radio and Satellite Navigation, GPS Position Location
Principles, GPS Receivers and codes.

Course Outcome (CO):

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1 Understanding Orbital aspects involved in satellite communication.
2 Creating of Power budget link and satellite networks using different
topologies and switching concepts.
3 Remembering Satellite system and services provided.
4 Evaluating the performance satellite communication system and know
application of satellite communication.

Text Books

1 Timothy Pratt, Charles W. Bostian, "Satellite Communications ", John

Wiley & Son, 2nd Edition, 2003.
2 Dennis Roddy, "Satellite Communications", McGraw-Hill International,
3rd Edition, 2001.
3 Anil k. Maine and Varsha Agaraval, "Satellite Communications", Wiley
Publications, 1st Edition, 2010
4. Monojit Mitra, Satellite Communication

References

1 Gerard Maral and Michel Bousquet, "Satellite Communication", Wiley

Publication,5th Edition,2009.
2 Wilbur L. Prichard, Henry G. Suyerhood, Ropert A. Nelson, "Satellite
Communication System Engineering", Pearson education,2nd Edition,
2003.
3 Robert Gagliardi, "Satellite Communication", CBS Publication, 1st
Edition, 2004.
4 M. Richaria, “Satellite Communication Systems Design Principles”,
Pearson Publications 2nd Edition, 1999.

.
 UNIT I

BASIC PRINCIPLES

1.1 ORIGIN OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

 The outer space has always fascinated people on the earth and communication
through space evolved as an offshoot of ideas for space travel. The earliest
idea of using artificial satellites for communications is found in a science
fiction Brick Moon by Edward Evert Hale, published in 1869-70.
 While the early fictional accounts of satellite and space communications bear
little resemblance to the technology as it exists today, they are of significance
since they represent the origins of the idea from which the technology
eventually evolved.
 In the area of satellite communications, the technology has been responsive to
the imaginative dreams. Hence it is also expected that technological
innovations will lead the evolution of satellite communications towards the
visions of today

1.1.1Concept of Satellite Communications

 Scientists from different countries conceived various ideas for communications

through space along with the technological breakthroughs in different fields of
science.
 The Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935) was the first person
to study space travel as a science and in 1879 formulated his Rocket Equation,
which is still used in the design of modern rockets.
 He also wrote the first theoretical description of a man- made satellite and
noted the existence of a geosynchronous orbit. But he did not identify any
practical applications of geosynchronous orbit.
 The noted German Scientist and rocket expert, Hermann Oberth, in 1923
proposed that the crews of orbiting rockets could communicate with remote
regions on earth by signalling with mirrors.
 In 1928, Austrian Scientist Hermann Noordung suggested that the
geostationary orbit might be a good location for manned space vehicle.
 Russian Scientists in 1937 suggested that television images could be relayed by
bouncing them off the space vehicles. During 1942-1943, a series of articles by
George O Smith were published in Astounding Science Fictions concerning an
artificial planet, Venus Equilateral, which functioned as relay station between
Venus and Earth Station when direct communication was blocked by Sun.
 However, Arthur C. Clarke, an electronic engineer and the well-known science
fiction writer is generally credited with originating the modern concept of
Satellite Communications. In 1945, Clarke, in his article `Extra Terrestrial
Relays: Can Rocket Stations give Worldwide Radio Coverage?’ published in
Wireless World outlined the basic technical considerations involved in the
concept of satellite communications.
 Clarke proposed orbiting space stations, which could be provided with
receiving and transmitting equipment and could act as a repeater to relay
transmission between any two points of the hemisphere beneath. He calculated
that at an orbital radius of 42,000 km. the space station’s orbit would coincide
with the earth’s rotation on its axis and the space station would remain fixed as
seen from any point on the earth.
 He also pointed out that three such synchronous stations located 120 degrees
apart above the equator could provide worldwide communications coverage.
The concept was later considered to be generating a billion dollar business in
 the area of communications. However, Clarke did not patent the most
commercially viable idea of twentieth century as he thought satellites would not
be technically and economically viable until the next century.

 Realization of concept to reality:

 In October 1957, the first artificial satellite Sputnik -I was launched by former
Soviet Russia in the earth’s orbit and in 1963 Clark’s idea became a reality
when the first geosynchronous satellite SYNCOM was successfully launched
by NASA.
 The realization of the concept of satellite communications from an idea to
reality has been possible due to a large number of technological breakthroughs
and practical realization of devices and systems, which took place during and
after the World War II.
 The pressures of international military rivalry during cold war period were also
able to a great extent to push scientific and technological research and
development far faster than it would have been possible if applied for peaceful
purposes.
 The successful launching of communications satellite in earth’s orbit was
possible because of keen interests shown by specific groups of people along
with the developments in diverse areas of science and technology. Some of
these factors, which are considered important in the realization of satellite
communications, are

 Development of high power rocket technology and propulsion systems

capable of delivering satellites in high altitude orbits
 Scientific and military interests in Space Research
 Development of Transistors and miniaturization of electronic circuitry.
  Development of Solar Cells for providing sustained energy source for the
satellite.
 Development of high-speed computers for calculating and tracking orbits.
 Government support in large-scale financial commitment to Space
Technology Development for Military, Scientific Experiments and Civilian
Applications.
 International military rivalry among super powers.
 The psychological impact of Sputnik Challenge leading to long range
program of scientific research and development undertaken by US.

 On Oct. 4, 1957, Sputnik-1 was launched as part of Russia’s program for

International Geophysical Year. The launching of Sputnik marks the dawn of
the space age and the world’s introduction to artificial satellite. Mass of
Sputnik was only 184 lbs. in an orbit of 560 miles above the earth.

 It carried two radio transmitters at 20.005 MHz and 40.002 MHz. However
this space craft was far more than a scientific and technical achievement as it
had a tremendous psychological and political impact particularly on United
States resulting in a technological competition between United States and
Russia, long term planning in Space Research and establishment of NASA.

 1.2 FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS FOR SATELLITE SERVICES

 Allocation of frequencies to satellite services s a complicated process which

requires international coordination and planning. This is done as per the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

 To implement this frequency planning, the world is divided into three regions:
 Region1: Europe, Africa and Mongolia
Region 2: North and South America and Greenland
Region 3: Asia (excluding region 1 areas), Australia and south-west Pacific.

Within these regions, he frequency bands are allocated to various satellite

services. Some of them are listed below.
 Fixed satellite service: Provides Links for existing Telephone Networks Used
for transmitting television signals to cable companies
 Broadcasting satellite service: Provides Direct Broadcast to homes. E.g. Live
Cricket matches etc
 Mobile satellite services: This includes services for: Land Mobile Maritime
Mobile Aeronautical mobile
 Navigational satellite services : Include Global Positioning systems
 Meteorological satellite services: They are often used to perform Search and
Rescue service
Below are the frequencies allocated to these satellites:
Frequency Band (GHZ) Designations:
VHF: 01-0.3
UHF: 0.3-1.0
L-band: 1.0-2.0
S-band: 2.0-4.0
C-band: 4.0-8.0
X-band: 8.0-12.0
Ku-band: 12.0-18.0 (Ku is Under K Band)
Ka-band: 18.0-27.0 (Ka is Above K Band)
V-band: 40.0-75.0
W-band: 75-110
Mm-band: 110-300
μm-band: 300-3000 Based on the satellite service,
 following are the frequencies allocated to the satellites:
Frequency Band (GHZ) Designations:
VHF: 01-0.3 ---Mobile & Navigational Satellite Services
L-band: 1.0-2.0 --- Mobile & Navigational Satellite Services
C-band: 4.0-8.0 --- Fixed Satellite Service
Ku-band: 12.0-18.0 --- Direct Broadcast Satellite Services

Frequency
Band Total Bandwidth General Application
Range
L 1 to 2 GHz 1 GHz Mobile satellite service(MSS)
S 2 to 4 GHz 2 GHz MSS, NASA, deep space search
C 4 to 8 GHz 4 GHz Fixed Satellite Service(FSS)
X 8 to 12.5 GHz 4.5 GHz FSS Military, terrestrial earth
exploration and metrological
satellites
Ku 12.5 to 18 GHz 5.5 GHz FSS, Broadcast satellite service
(BSS)
K 18 to 26.5 GHz 8.5 GHz BSS,FSS
Ka 26.5 to 40 GHz 13.5 GHz FSS

 Frequency Bands:
 L-band (1–2 GHz)

Global Positioning System (GPS) carriers and also satellite mobile phones, such
as Iridium; Inmarsat providing communications at sea, land and air; WorldSpace satellite
radio.
 S-band (2–4 GHz)
Weather radar, surface ship radar, and some communications satellites, especially those
of NASA for communication with ISS and Space Shuttle.
In May 2009, Inmarsat and Solaris mobile (a joint venture between Eutelsat and Astra)
were awarded each a 2×15 MHz portion of the S-band by the European Commission.

 C-band (4–8 GHz)

Primarily used for satellite communications, for full-time satellite TV networks or

raw satellite feeds. Commonly used in areas that are subject to tropical rainfall.
since it is less susceptible to rain fade than Ku band (the original Telstar satellite
had a transponder operating in this band, used to relay the first live transatlantic
TV signal in 1962).

 X-band (8–12 GHz)

 Primarily used by the military. Used in radar applications including continuous-
wave, pulsed, single-polarisation. , dual- polarisation, synthetic aperture radar and
phased arrays.
 X-band radar frequency sub-bands are used in civil, military and government
institutions for weather monitoring, air traffic control, maritime vessel traffic
control, defence tracking and vehicle speed detection for law enforcement.
 Ku-band (12–18 GHz)

Used for satellite communications. In Europe, Ku-band downlink is used from

10.7 GHz to 12.75 GHz for direct broadcast satellite services, such as Astra.
 Ka-band (26–40 GHz)

Communications satellites, uplink in either the 27.5 GHz and 31 GHz bands, and
high-resolution, close-range targeting radars on military aircraft.

 1.3 BASIC CONCEPTS OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

 A communication satellite is an orbiting artificial earth satellite that receives a

communications signal from a transmitting ground station, amplifies and
 possibly processes it, then transmits it back to the earth for reception by one or
more receiving ground stations.
 Communications information neither originates nor terminates at the satellite
itself. The satellite is an active transmission relay, similar in function to relay
towers used in terrestrial microwave communications.
 The commercial satellite communications industry has its beginnings in the
mid1960s, and in less than 50 years has progressed from an alternative exotic
technology to a mainstream transmission technology, which is pervasive in all
elements of the global telecommunications infrastructure. Today’s
communications satellites offer extensive capabilities in applications involving
data, voice, and video, with services provided to fixed, broadcast, mobile,
personal communications, and private networks users.

 1.3.1 Evolution of Satellite Communication:

 During early 1950s, both passive and active satellites were considered for the
purpose of communications over a large distance.
 Passive satellites though successfully used in the early years of satellite
communications, with the advancement in technology active satellites have
completely replaced the passive satellites.

 1.3.2. Passive Satellites:

 A satellite that only reflects signals from one Earth station to another or from
several Earth stations to several others.
 It reflects the incident electromagnetic radiation without any modification or
amplification.
 It can't generate power, they simply reflect the incident power.
 The first artificial passive satellite Echo-I of NASA was launched in August
1960.
 1.3.2.1 Disadvantages:
 Earth Stations required high power to transmit signals.
 Large Earth Stations with tracking facilities were expensive.
 A global system would have required a large number of passive satellites
accessed randomly by different users.
 Control of satellites not possible from ground.
 The large attenuation of the signal while traveling the large distance
between the transmitter and the receiver via the satellite was one of the
most serious problems.

 1.3.3 Active Satellites:

 In active satellites, it amplifies or modifies and retransmits the signal received

from the earth.
 Satellites which can transmit power are called active satellite.
 Have several advantages over the passive satellites.
 Require lower power earth station.
  Not open to random use.
 Directly controlled by operators from ground.

 1.3.3.1 Disadvantages:
 Requirement of larger and powerful rockets to launch heavier satellites in
orbit.
 Requirement of on-board power supply.
 Interruption of service due to failure of electronics components.

 1.4 Satellite Communication System

The satellite communication can be divided into three sections:
1. Uplink Section (Ground Station)
2. Transponder (Airborne Satellite)
3. Downlink Section (Ground Station)
The uplink section consists of following units–
• Intermediate Frequency (IF) Modulator
• Band Pass Filter (BPF)
• Up Converter (Mixer, BPF & Uplink Frequency Microwave Generator)
• High Power Amplifier (HPA)
• Transmitting (Tx) Antenna

The signal which user wants to send is called as Baseband Signal. It is feed to
Intermediate Frequency (IF) Modulator who converts baseband frequency to
intermediate frequency through different types of modulation process like ASK, FSK
and, PSK according to the requirement. The output IF is passed through a Band Pass
Filter (BPF) for cutting off unnecessary frequency components. The IF is sent to UP-
Converter where IF range (MHz) is increased to Radio Frequency (RF) range (GHz)
with the help of Mixer & Uplink Frequency Microwave Generator. Here, Radio
Frequency (RF) = (LO + IF) and Intermediate Frequency (IF) = (LO – RF). Here, LO
is Local Oscillator Frequency. There is another BPF for the RF signal to become
more accurate uplink frequency. Finally, the RF is passed through a High Power
Amplifier (HPA) for gaining enough strength to travel a long distance before it is
radiated through transmission (Tx) antenna.

Transponder consists of the following subsections–

• Receiving (Rx) Antenna
• Band Pass Filter (BPF)
• Low Noise Amplifier (LNA)
• Frequency Translator
• Low Power Amplifier (LPA)
• Transmitting (Tx) Antenna
Transponder implies to Transmitter + Responder. The transmitted frequency
from the uplink section and received frequency at the transponder by a receiving (Rx)
antenna are the same. Noise filtering is performed by a Band Pass Filter (BPF). Then
the RF signal is sent to the Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), a tunnel diode, which
amplifies the signal but keeps noise level very low.
To get some specific advantages (e.g., small antenna size and less power
consumption) downlink frequency is usually kept 2 GHz less than uplink frequency.
Frequency Translator performs the frequency conversion with the help of Mixer &
Microwave Shift Oscillator. Again a BPF is used to get more accurate downlink
frequency. Finally, the downlink frequency is passed through a Low Power Amplifier
(LPA) for gaining strength to come back to earth before radiating through
transponder’s transmission (Tx) antenna.

Downlink section consists of following units–

• Receiving (Rx) Antenna
 • Band Pass Filter (BPF)
• Low Noise Amplifier (LNA)
• Down Converter (Mixer, BPF & Downlink Frequency Microwave Generator)
• Intermediate Frequency (IF) Demodulator

The transmitted frequency from the transponder and received frequency at the
receiving antenna are the same. A Band Pass Filter (BPF) cuts off the unnecessary
frequency components.
Then the RF signal is sent to the Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) for amplification.
Then the RF signal is feed to Down-Converter where RF range (GHz) is decreased to
IF range (MHz) with the help of Mixer & Downlink Frequency Microwave
Generator. Intermediate Frequency (IF) Demodulator converts intermediate frequency
to baseband frequency. This baseband signal is the signal which was sent via
transponder by the user from the uplink section.

 1.5 Earth Station

The earth segment of a satellite communications system consists of the transmit
and receive earth stations. The simplest of these are the home TV receive-only
(TVRO) systems, and the most complex are the terminal stations used for
international communications networks. Also included in the earth segment are those
stations which are on ships at sea, and commercial and military land and aeronautical
mobile stations. As mentioned in earth stations that are used for logistic sup- port of
satellites, such as providing the telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) functions,
are considered as part of the space segment.

 1.5.1 Terrestrial Interface :

 Earth station is a vital element in any satellite communication network. The
function of an earth station is to receive information from or transmit information to,
the satellite network in the most cost-effective and reliable manner while retaining the
desired signal quality. The design of earth station configuration depends upon many
factors and its location. But it is fundamentally governed by its

Location which are listed below,

• In land
• On a ship at sea
• Onboard aircraft

The factors are

• Type of services
• Frequency bands used
• Function of the transmitter
• Function of the receiver
• Antenna characteristics

 1.5.2 Transmitter and Receiver

Any earth station consists of four major subsystems
• Transmitter
• Receiver
• Antenna
• Tracking equipment
 The functional elements of a basic digital earth station are shown in the below
figure

 Digital information in the form of binary digits from terrestrial networks

enters earth station and is then processed (filtered, multiplexed, formatted
etc.) by the base band equipment.
 The encoder performs error correction coding to reduce the error rate, by
introducing extra digits into digital stream generated by the base band
equipment. The extra digits carry information.
 In satellite communication, I.F carrier frequency is chosen at 70 MHz for
communication using a 36 MHz transponder bandwidth and at 140 MHz for a
transponder bandwidth of 54 or 72 MHz.
 On the receive side, the earth station antenna receives the low-level
modulated R.F carrier in the downlink frequency spectrum.
 The low noise amplifier (LNA) is used to amplify the weak received signals
and improve the signal to Noise ratio (SNR). The error rate requirements can
be met more easily. • R.F is to be reconverted to I.F at 70 or 140 MHz
because it is easier design a demodulation to work at these frequencies than 4
or 12 GHz.
 The demodulator estimate which of the possible symbols was transmitted
based on observation of the received if carrier.
 The decoder performs a function opposite that of the encoder. Because the
sequence of symbols recovered by the demodulator may contain errors, the
decoder must use the uniqueness of the redundant digits introduced by the
encoder to correct the errors and recover information-bearing digits.
 The information stream is fed to the base-band equipment for processing for
delivery to the terrestrial network.
 The tracking equipments track the satellite and align the beam towards it to
facilitate communication.

 1.5.3 Earth Station Tracking System :

 Tracking is essential when the satellite drift, as seen by an earth station antenna
is significant fraction of an earth station’s antenna beam width.

 An earth station’s tracking system is required to perform some of the functions

such as
i) Satellite acquisition
ii) Automatic tracking
iii) Manual tracking
iv) Program tracking
  1.5.4. Antenna Systems :

 The antenna system consist of

 Feed System

 Antenna Reflector

 Mount

 Antenna tracking System

 1.5.4.1 Feed System

 The feed along with the reflector is the radiating/receiving element of

electromagnetic waves. The reciprocity property of the feed element makes the
earth station antenna system suitable for transmission and reception of
electromagnetic waves.
 The way the waves coming in and going out is called feed configuration
Earth Station feed systems most commonly used in satellite communication are:
i) Axi-Symmetric Configuration
ii) Asymmetric Configuration
i) Axi-Symmetric Configuration

In an axi-symmetric configuration the antenna axes are symmetrical with

respect to the reflector ,which results in a relatively simple mechanical structure
and antenna mount.
  Primary Feed :
In primary, feed is located at the focal point of the parabolic reflector.
Many dishes use only a single bounce, with incoming waves reflecting off
the dish surface to the focus in front of the dish, where the antenna is
located.
When the dish is used to transmit ,the transmitting antenna at the focus
beams waves toward the dish, bouncing them off to space. This is the
simplest arrangement

 Cassegrain :
Many dishes have the waves make more than one bounce .This is
generally called as folded systems. The advantage is that the whole dish
and feed system is more compact. There are several folded configurations,
but all have at least one secondary reflector also called a sub reflector,
located out in front of the dish to redirect the waves.

 Gregorian
This system has a concave secondary reflector located just beyond the
primary focus. This also bounces the waves back toward the dish.

ii)Asymmetric Configuration

Offset or Off-axis feed

The performance of tan axi-symmetric configuration is affected by the

blockage of the aperture by the feed and the sub reflector assembly. The result is
a reduction in the antenna efficiency and an increase in the side lobe levels. The
asymmetric configuration can remove this limitation.
This is achieved by offsetting the mounting arrangement of the feed so that it does
not obstruct the main beam.As a result ,the efficiency and side lobe level
performance are
improved.

1.5.4.2 ANTENNA REFLECTOR :

Mostly parabolic reflectors are used as the main antenna for the earth stations
because of the high gain available from the reflector and the ability of focusing a
parallel beam into a point at the focus where the feed,i.e., the receiving/radiating
element is located .For large antenna system more than one reflector surfaces may
be used in as in the cassegrain antenna system.
Earth stations are also classified on the basis of services for example:
1.Two way TV ,Telephony and data
2. Two way TV
3.TV receive only and two way telephony and data
4.Two way data
From the classifications it is obvious that the technology of earth station will vary
considerably on the performance and the service requirements of earth station

1.5.4.3 ANTENNA MOUNT:

Type of antenna mount is determined mainly by the coverage requirement and

tracking requirements of the antenna systems. Different types of mount used for
earth station antenna are:

i) The Azimuth –elevation mount :

 This mount consists of a primary vertical axis. Rotation around this axis controls
the azimuth angle. The horizontal axis is mounted over the primary axis, providing
the elevation angle control.

ii) The X-Y mount:

It consists of a horizontal primary axis (X-axis) and a secondary axis (Yaxis) and
at right angles to it. Movement around these axes provides necessary steering.

1.5.4.4. ANTENNA TRACKING SYSTEM :

Tracking is essential when the satellite drift, as seen by an earth station antenna is
a significant fraction of an earth station’s antenna beam width. An earth station’s
tracking system is required to perform some of the

functions such as
i)Satellite acquisition
ii)Automatic tracking
iii)Manual tracking
iv)Program tracking.

 1.6 Satellite versus Terrestrial Networks

 Satellites, initially conceived to provide support services to terrestrial
communication networks, have made a great deal of progress in the last fifty
years. Satellites have established themselves as a pioneering element of
communication networks. However, with the advances made in the field of
 terrestrial communication network technology, like the advent of fibre optic
technology, satellites are facing tough competition from the terrestrial
networks. When compared with each other, both satellites as well as
terrestrial networks have certain advantages and disadvantages w.r.t. each
other. Some of the important ones are outlined below:
 Advantages of Satellites Over Terrestrial Networks
 Satellites offer certain advantages over terrestrial networks. Some of the
advantages are as follows:
 1.Broadcast property – wide coverage area. Satellites, by virtue of their
very nature, are an ideal means of transmitting information over vast
geographical areas. This broadcasting property of satellites is fully exploited
in point-to-multipoint networks and multipoint interactive networks. The
broadcasting property is one of the major plus points of satellites over
terrestrial networks, which are not so well suited for broadcasting
applications.
 2. Wide bandwidth – high transmission speeds and large transmission
capacity. Over the years, satellites have offered greater transmission
bandwidths and hence more transmission capacity and speeds as compared
to terrestrial networks. However, with the introduction of fibre optic cables
into terrestrial cable networks, they are now capable of providing
transmission capabilities comparable to those of satellites.
 3. Geographical flexibility – independence of location. Unlike terrestrial
networks, satellite networks are not restricted to any particular
configuration. Within their coverage area, satellite networks offer an infinite
choice of routes and hence they can reach remote locations having
rudimentary or nonexistent terrestrial networks. This feature of satellite
networks makes them particularly attractive to Third World countries and
countries having difficult geographical terrains and unevenly distributed
populations.
 4. Easy installation of ground station-. Once the satellite has been
launched, installation and maintenance of satellite Earth stations is much
simpler than establishing a terrestrial infrastructure, which requires an
extensive ground construction plan. This is particularly helpful in setting up
temporary services. Moreover, one fault on the terrestrial communication
link can put the entire link out of service, which is not the case with satellite
networks.
 5. Uniform service characteristics.-Satellites provide a more or less
uniform service within their coverage area, better known as a ‘footprint’.
This overcomes some of the problems related to the fragmentation of service
that result from connecting network segments from various terrestrial
telecommunication operators.
 6. Immunity to natural disaster- Satellites are more immune to natural
disaster such as floods, earthquakes, storms, etc., as compared to Earth-
based terrestrial networks.
 7. Independence from terrestrial infrastructure--Satellites can render
services directly to the users, without requiring a terrestrial interface. Direct-
to-home television services, mobile satellite services and certain
configurations of VSAT networks are examples of such services. In general,
C band satellites usually require terrestrial interfaces, whereas Ku and Ka
band systems need little or no terrestrial links.
 8. Cost aspects – low cost per added site and distance insensitive costs.
Satellites do not require a complex infrastructure at the ground level; hence
the cost of constructing a receiving station is quite modest – more so in case
of DTH and mobile receivers. Also, the cost of satellite services is
independent of the length of the transmission route, unlike the terrestrial
networks where the cost of building and maintaining a communication
facility is directly proportional to the distances involved.
 Disadvantages of Satellites with Respect to Terrestrial Networks
 1. Transmission delay-- Transmission delays of the order of a quarter of a
second are involved in transmission of signals from one Earth station to
another via a geostationary satellite. It may be mentioned here that for
satellite-based data communication services, the data communication
protocols that require acknowledgement feedback further add to the delay.
Hence, GEO satellites are not suited for certain applications like interactive
media, which require small transmission delays. Large transmission delays
also have an adverse impact on the quality of voice communication and data
transmission at high data rates.
 2. Echo effects-- The echo effect, in which the speaker hears his or her own
voice, is more predominant in satellite-based telephone networks as
compared to terrestrial networks. This is due to larger transmission delays
involved in the case of satellites. However, with the development of new
echo suppressors, satisfactory link quality has been provided in the case of
single-hop GEO satellite networks. However, for double-hop GEO
networks, the problem of echo still exists.
 3. Launch cost of a satellite-- Although the cost of a satellite ground
station is less than that of terrestrial networks and the cost of satellite
services are independent of the distances involved, the cost of launching a
satellite is huge.
Assignment

1. Write brief notes on the advantages and disadvantages of using satellites

in LEOs, MEOs, and GEOs for mobile satellite communications.

2. Justify satellite over Terrestrial Networks along with their advantages and
disadvantages.

3. Differentiate Geo stationary and Non geostationary satellite.

4. State the function of earth station transmitter and receiver in detail.

5. Detail explain principal of Satellite communication.

6. Indicate which frequency band might be used to provide a direct broadcast

service.

7. Which frequency ranges are currently allocated for future services from high
altitude platforms?

8. Outline the mission of the ITU-R. How often does the World Radio Conference
meet?

9. What are the major regions are classified the world for frequency planning?

10. How many broadcasting services provided in satellite? what is frequency band
allocated for that?

11. Discuss briefly the development of INTELSAT starting from the 1960s through
the Present.

12. Illustrate the need of satellite communication.

What are the different types of satellite orbits ? discuss their merits and demerits.

13. Explain about antenna look angles and polar mount antenna.

14. Analyse the functioning of transmit and receive earth station. With a block
diagram explain how the redundant earth station function.
15.