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A Practical Introductory Guide On Using Satellite Technology For Communications

Satellite technology allows for global communications coverage regardless of a user's location. Satellites provide ubiquitous connectivity across vast distances, including remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure like fiber would be costly. They can rapidly deploy temporary or interim networks to test markets or provide emergency connectivity until permanent solutions are established. Satellites also enable consistent quality of service across large coverage areas.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
169 views16 pages

A Practical Introductory Guide On Using Satellite Technology For Communications

Satellite technology allows for global communications coverage regardless of a user's location. Satellites provide ubiquitous connectivity across vast distances, including remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure like fiber would be costly. They can rapidly deploy temporary or interim networks to test markets or provide emergency connectivity until permanent solutions are established. Satellites also enable consistent quality of service across large coverage areas.

Uploaded by

Hüseyin Aktaş
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 16

A Practical Introductory Guide

on Using Satellite Technology


for Communications

17/12/5941-Satellite Technology
Executive Summary
Satellites can provide global, ubiquitous and multipoint communications. Not surprisingly, satellite technology has
become a flexible and cost-effective solution for domestic and international networks, irrespective of the user’s geo-
graphic location. Wireline and wireless lack this ability to leap across continents and oceans, often linking some of the
world’s most remote spots.

Satellite technology can thus become a solution for some of the most complicated access problems, connecting cities
across a large landmass, where copper or fiber would be cost prohibitive. Bringing broadband to the “last mile” of
residences and businesses. Overcoming regulatory issues that make alternative carriers dependent on incumbents.

Satellites also have a major role to play in designing, developing and expanding a network. With a satellite and Earth
Stations, you can create a network on a permanent or interim basis much more rapidly than “laying cable.” An in-
terim station will even let you test a market or provide emergency service prior to a major infrastructure
investment. You can also rapidly scale and re-provision a satellite-based network to meet increasing and changing
needs.

The benefits of satellite communications have steadily expanded its usage. Today, satellites’ diverse purposes encom-
pass wide area network communication, cellular backhaul, Internet trunking, television broadcasting and rural tele-
phony. Satellites are also on the frontiers of such advanced applications as telemedicine, distance learning, Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) and video on demand (VOD).

Intelsat has created this Primer to provide an introduction to the technology used in satellite networks. Our intention
is help you understand, in general terms, why and how satellite technology might meet your needs. For more infor-
mation, we invite you to talk to our experts and discuss your specific requirements. We hope this introductory mate-
rial will be useful to you in meeting the challenges ahead in your network.

2
ensures that the satellite “hovers” in direct line with its
Communications Satellites: Earth Stations at all times. In this orbit, a single geosta-
“Bent Pipes,” Mirrors and tionary satellite can “see” or “beam to” approximately
Multipoint Broadcasters 40 percent of the Earth’s surface.
A satellite is essentially a space-based receiving and The geosynchronous location of the satellite is referred
transmitting radio. In other words, it sends electro- to as the “orbital location” and is normally measured in
magnetic waves, carrying information over distances terms of degrees East (ºE) from the Prime Meridian of
without the use of wires. Since its function is to transmit 0º. For example, Intelsat satellite 805 is currently located
information from one point on Earth to one or more at 304.5ºE. The geographic area that the satellite can
other points, it actually functions as a “radio-frequency transmit to, or receive from, is called the satellite’s “foot-
repeater.” print.” Customers can review the areas covered by any
of Intelsat’s satellites by examining coverage maps
A satellite receives radio-frequency signals, uplinked
available at: www.intelsat.com/fleetmaps/
from a satellite dish on the Earth, known as an Earth
Station or Antenna1. It then amplifies the signals, chang- Satellites have an expected life of 10-15 years. As they
es the frequency and retransmits them on a downlink reach the end of their planned use, an option is to
frequency to one or more Earth Stations. conserve on the large amount of propellant used to
keep the satellite from drifting on its North-South axis.
Satellites are thus often described as a mirror or a “bent
The satellite can then move into “Inclined Orbit” (IO
pipe” in the sky. The “bent pipe” analogy, however,
— an orbit “inclined” to the equator rather than fixed
does not describe one of the main communications
above it). Since the satellite remains in its East-West lo-
advantages of a satellite: its unique ability to support
cation relative to the Prime Meridian, it will not disturb
point-to-multipoint communications.
other orbiting equipment. An IO satellite moves in a fig-
ure eight around its nominal slot. This technique helps to
The Satellite’s Orbital Location: conserve fuel and can extend the useful life of a satellite.

Geostationary and Geosynchronous Since a satellite in an Inclined Orbit is not in a 24-hour


As you can see, the challenge of “uplinking” and fixed beaming position, it requires tracking equipment
“downlinking” requires a very predictable relationship at the Earth Station to follow its beam. To compensate
between the satellite and the Earth Station. The simplest for the cost of the tracking equipment, an operator may
situation lower the cost of the less desirable and less efficient fuel
is one in which both the spacecraft and terrestrial anten- capacity. The trade-off in life extension may well make
na remain in a fixed position with regard to each other. this discounting worthwhile.
Otherwise one would necessarily keep the antenna con-
tinually moving to keep up with the satellite’s orbit. Figure 1 — Footprint of Intelsat 902 at 62ºE

That is why most communication satellites in use today are


geostationary. The satellite remains stationary over the
same spot on the surface of the earth (geo) at all times. It
stays fixed in the sky relative to the Earth’s surface.

These satellites orbit the earth geosynchronously (i.e.


“they move in synch with the Earth’s rotation.”). They
orbit over the Earth’s equator at an altitude of approxi-
mately 36,000 kilometers or 22,000 miles up. At this
height, one complete trip around the Earth (relative to
the sun) is basically equivalent to 24 hours on Earth. The
precise alignment of longitude, latitude and altitude

1
The terms ”Earth Station” and ”Antenna” are often used interchangeably in the satellite industry. However, technically, an an-
tenna is part of an Earth Station. An Earth Station may be composed of many antennas.

3
or an emergency stabilizes, you can re-deploy the equip-
The Benefits of Using Satellite ment to another area and, for a new market, replace
Communications satellites have distinct benefits over ter- the satellite network with a permanent terrestrial pres-
restrial alternatives: ence. As an emergency stabilizes, you can re-deploy the
Ubiquitous Coverage. A small group or constellation of equipment to another area.
satellites can cover virtually all of the inhabited Earth’s Temporary Network Solutions. For temporary locations,
surface. Even one satellite can cover a much vaster num- or mobile applications, such as news gathering, homeland
ber of potential subscribers than any terrestrial network. security or military activities, satellite can often provide
Consistent Quality of Service (QoS). Essentially, satellites the only practical solution for getting necessary informa-
can deliver consistent quality of service to an almost tion out.
infinite number of locations, regardless of geography. Total Network Management. Satellite can provide a sin-
Whereas terrestrial IP networks are often a mixture of gle-tier, end-to-end backbone infrastructure. Meanwhile,
different networks and topologies, with different levels terrestrial facilities may be managed by multiple orga-
of congestion and latency, the predictability of satellite nizations. From this perspective, satellites also provide
networks provides a constant, uniform QoS. In a ter- a ”truly private” network, entirely under the operator’s
restrial packet network, variations in the level of con- control.
gestion and latency can cause problems such as packet
“jitter,” requiring large equipment buffers to avoid deg- A Long-Term Solution for the Last Mile. The biggest
radation of the voice quality. On the other hand, the pre- problem with the last mile is getting the high-band-
dictability of satellite latency levels provides a much more width capabilities available in the long-distance net-
consistent QoS. works to the residence or small business. Network opera-
tors ”over-built” the long-distance arena (a relatively
Infrastructure Building. Satellite service can be offered easy equipment task) without improving capacity for the
in areas where there is no terrestrial infrastructure and access arena between central office and home. By being
the costs of deploying a fiber or microwave network are independent of terrestrial equipment factors, satellite
prohibitive. It can also support services in areas where can provide cost-effective multipoint access, either to the
existing infrastructure is outdated or insufficient. CO or directly to the home.
Cost Predictability. Satellite communication is distance Rapid Provisioning of New Services. Since satellite solu-
insensitive, thus providing cost predictability. tions can be set up quickly, you can be fast-to- market
Traffic Bypass. Satellite can provide additional band- with new services. For the most part, you can re-point
width to divert traffic from congested areas, to provide or expand services electronically without the custom-
overflow during peak usage periods and to provide re- ary ”truck rolls” of traditional terrestrial networks. As a
dundancy in the case of terrestrial network outages. By result, you can decrease capital expenditures while real-
being wholly independent of a wireline infrastructure, izing revenues earlier.
satellite is the only ”truly diverse” communication alter- Of course, all communications satellite networks are not
native. alike. To realize these general advantages, it is helpful
Scalability and Reconfigurability. Satellite connections to know the elements of satellite architecture. While
and Earth Stations are extremely scalable. In contrast to the structure of a communications satellite remains the
terrestrial alternatives, they can be deployed quickly and same, its capacity and frequency bands will vary accord-
inexpensively, enabling rapid network build-out. You can ing to your needs.
easily reconfigure satellite networks to match changing
user demand. Satellite ground equipment also provides
unparalleled flexibility because you can install it on an
interim basis, to test new markets or to keep communi-
cations going in an emergency. As demand increases

4
customer application. A single transponder is capable
Satellite Architecture of handling up to 155 million bits of information per
Communications data passes through the satellite using second. With this immense capacity, today’s communica-
a signal path known as a ”transponder.” Typically satel- tion satellites are an ideal medium for transmitting and
lites have between 24 and 72 transponders. Transpon- receiving almost any kind of content, from simple voice
ders may be shared between many customers, in a ”de- or data to the most complex and bandwidth-intensive
mand access” environment, or segments of capacity may video, audio and Internet content.
be dedicated to individual customers, depending on the

Figure 2 — Diagrammatic Representation of a Satellite

Propulsion System

Telemetry, Attitude Control, Commanding

{
Solar Arrays Fuel, Batteries Solar Arrays
Power/Thermal Systems

Down- High Power


converter Amplifier

Communications Transponder Pre- Transponder


Receiver Section Filter Transmitter Section
Payload amplifier

Filter

Uplink Downlink

USA Tanzania
Earth Stations/ Antennas

5
power at different levels to particular locations. Use of
Bands and Beams beams other than global also allows satellites to employ
Satellites transmit information within ”frequency frequency reuse to increase capacity. Intelsat offers Ser-
bands.” The primary commercial frequency bands vices with the following beam types:
currently in use are C-band and Ku-band. Over the next
several years, the use of a new frequency band known ■ C-Band Global
as Ka-band is expected to increase. Generally C-band ■ C-Band Hemi
operates in the 4-6 GHz range and is mostly used for
■ C-Band Zone
fixed services such as PSN, Internet Trunking and mobile
■ Ku-Band Spot
feeder links.
A ”global” beam essentially means that the radiated
Ku-band operates in the 11-14 GHz range and is gener- power of the satellite beam is directed at the equator
ally used for fixed services such as Very Small Aperture and spreads outward. The global beam provides wide-
Terminal (VSAT), a network, serving corporate networks spread coverage. However it provides less power than
and small businesses, that uses a small transceiver directly a concentrated beam. This means that a larger antenna
linked to a satellite in a Star topology. Ku-band serves must be used with a global beam. For this reason, global
Internet trunking and video distribution applications. Ka- beams tend to be used by carriers who require cover-
band operates in the 18-30 GHz range largely for broad- age not available with other beams, or require multiple
band applications2. points within a large coverage area, and have access to
a large antenna, either via their own facilities or via a
There is a trade-off between the size of the geographic
shared hub. Intelsat offers the option for higher-pow-
area in which signals can be transmitted or received and
ered global beams on some satellites that can support
the amount of power that can be used to send or re-
smaller antennas; small antennas are generally lower cost
ceive the signal. Therefore, modern satellites support a
and require less physical space.
variety of ”beam” types to allow the satellite to focus its

Figure 3 — Satellite Frequency Bands

Band Intelsat’s Uplink Intelsat’s Downlink Comments


Frequency Frequency

C-Band 5850 to 6650 MHz 3400 to 4200 MHz Transmissions are immune to atmospheric condi-
tions such as snow and rain. However, C-band
transmissions have low power, so Earth Stations
must be rather large to compensate, typically 4.5
to 18 meters in diameter. Applications include
public switched networks and Internet trunking.
Ku-Band 13.74 to 14.5 GHz 10.95 to 12.75 GHz The Ku-spectrum has higher power than C-band,
allowing for smaller Earth Stations to be used
(4 meters in diameter or less). However the higher
frequency of Ku-band makes it more susceptible
to adverse weather conditions than C-band.
Ku-band is generally offered in ”Spot” beams (see
below). Applications include VSAT, rural telephony,
satellite news gathering, Videoconferencing and
multimedia services.
Ka-Band TBD TBD Ka-band has a higher power frequency than Ku-
band and therefore will be used for high-band-
width interactive services such as high-
speed Internet, videoconferencing and
multimedia applications Ka-band transmissions
are even more sensitive to poor weather condi-
tions than Ku-band.

2
The letters used to name frequency bands do not mean anything; they are used as code names by the US Military;
frequency ranges are approximate and not agreed to by everyone.

6
In contrast, some satellite beams direct the satellite’s
power to specific areas. These are called ”Hemi,” ”Zone”
Shared and Dedicated Capacity
and ”Spot” beams. Hemi and Zone beams essentially As in terrestrial networks, satellite capacity can be
offer approximately one half and one quarter of the shared among multiple users or can be dedicated to
coverage of a global beam, respectively. A larger an- individual customers. There are several methods of in-
tenna will be needed when using a global beam than a creasing capacity. In Demand Assigned Multiple Access
Hemi or Zone beam, to achieve the same level of quality, (DAMA), a caller’s demand to the ”satellite switchboard”
because the antenna must compensate for the reduced determines a
power through its increased receive signal gain. The temporary allocation of frequency. Frequency Division
main benefit of Ku Spot beams is that they provide more Multiple Access divides the available spectrum into
power and, therefore, very small, low-cost antennas can channels like radio stations, tuned to different
be used. This makes it an excellent solution for corporate frequency. Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) in-
network applications. creases the traffic a slot can handle by dividing it into
units of time. Generally shared capacity is suitable for
low-volume telephony applications, which are supported
Bandwidth and Power using technologies, such as Demand Assigned Multiple
Satellite capacity is the combination of bandwidth and Access (DAMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access
power, and is measured in units of Hertz (cycles per (FDMA) or Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA).
second). Since large bandwidths are required it is more For higher volume or more bandwidth-intensive
common to use MegaHertz (MHz) or kiloHertz (kHz). applications, such as video distribution, dedicated
Since terrestrial capacity is leased in Megabits per sec- capacity ensures a consistent quality of service. Most
ond, or multiples thereof, Intelsat often makes the con- capacity in use on the Intelsat system is assigned as Fre-
version to MHz which will support the required informa- quency Division Multiple Access (FDMA).
tion rate.

There is a relationship between the amount of band-


width and the amount of power available from the sat-
ellite. Each transponder has a maximum amount of pow-
er and a maximum amount of bandwidth available to
it. Therefore, if a customer has a small antenna, he may
use all of the power available to him before he has used
all of the bandwidth. Conversely a customer with a large
antenna may use all of the bandwidth available but still
have power available. For this reason, Intelsat will work
with their customers to help design a ”Transmission
Plan” that will optimize the amount of power and band-
width required.

7
The Ground Installation Figure 4 — Intelsat Approved Antenna Sizes

All satellite communications are sent to and received


from the satellite using an Earth Station or Antenna; Standard Approximate Antenna Frequency
sometimes referred to as a ”dish.” Earth Stations may Size (Meters) Band
either be fixed and installed at a specific installation,
or mobile, for uses such as Satellite News Gathering A 18 C
(SNG) or maritime applications. There are various sizes
of antenna, depending on the customer application and B 11 C
the type of beam being used on the satellite. Antennas
C 16 Ku
range in size from large telecommunications carrier
dishes of 4.5 to 15 meters in diameter, to VSATs of less E1 2.4-4.5 Ku
than one meter in diameter, which are designed to sup-
port services such as Direct to Home TV (DTH) and rural E2 4.5-7 Ku
telephony. Intelsat uses the following definitions to clas-
sify dish sizes and types: E3 6-9 Ku

Antennas below 1.2m for Ku-band and 1.8m for C-band F1 3.7-4.5 (typical) C
may be approved for use with the Intelsat system under
F2 5.5-7.5 C
certain circumstances — these are included in the ”G”
standard. F3 7.3-9 C
Earth Stations may incorporate sophisticated technology G Up to 4.5 C & Ku
to ensure that the link between the satellite and the
Earth Station is optimized. As mentioned above, some H 1, 2 & 3 1.8-3.7 C
antennas may use tracking equipment to follow the
movement of an Inclined Orbit satellite. In other situ- K 1, 2 & 3 1.2-1.8 Ku
ations where the Earth Station itself is likely to move,
such as in maritime applications, special stabilization
equipment is used to compensate for the movement.

The antenna itself will generally be connected to an


Indoor Unit (IDU), which then connects either to the
actual communications devices being used, to a Local
Area Network (LAN), or to additional terrestrial network
infrastructure.

8
all components of the network. Outbound information
Network Topologies from the hub is sent up to the satellite, which receives it,
Satellite communication supports a number of different amplifies it and beams it back to earth for reception by
network topologies, depending on the application. At the remote Earth Station(s). The remote locations send
its simplest, satellite can support a simplex (one direc- information inbound to the hub. In a Mesh topology,
tion) or duplex (two directions) link between two Earth remote Earth Stations can also communicate with each
Stations. More complex networks can be fashioned other via the satellite, but without information being
to support ”Star” or ”Mesh” topologies, especially in sent through the hub. This is common for international
corporate VSAT applications. In a Star topology there voice and data traffic via satellite. This is also referred to
will be a ”hub” Earth Station, at the center of the net- as a community of Earth Stations.
work. Content originates at the hub, which features
a large antenna. The hub can control the network The following examples show some of the options
through a Network Management System (NMS), which available to customers for configuring their satellite
allows the network operator to monitor and control networks:

Figure 5 — Simplex Transmission

Applications for simplex services include:


■ Broadcast transmissions such
as TV, video and radio services

TV Stations/
HQ Networks
Hub Equipment

Hub Equipment

Affiliated TV Stations

Figure 6 — Point-to-Point Duplex Transmission

Applications for duplex services include:


■ Voice telephony transport
Data and IP transport
■ 
(especially in asymmetric configurations)
■ Corporate networks
Public Public
■ TV and broadcast program Network Network
contribution and distribution

Customer Customer
Site Site

Private CPE CPE Private


Network Network

9
Figure 7 — Point-to-Multipoint Transmission
(May be simplex or duplex, symmetric or asymmetric)

Applications for point-to-multipoint services include:


Corporate networks, including VSAT services
■ 
and business television
Video and broadcast distribution, including
■ 
Direct-to-Home Internet services

CPE
CPE
CPE

Network
Network or Sites
Network or Sites
Network CPE or Sites
or Sites

Figure 8 — Mobile Antenna Service

Applications for mobile antenna services include:


Satellite news gathering
■ 
Special event backhaul and broadcasting
■ 
Maritime services
■ 
Public
Network

Customer
Site

Private CPE
Network

10
Figure 9 — Star Network

Applications for Star networks include:


Corporate networks
■ 
Distance learning
■ 
A A
D
A
B, C, D A C
B

Public or
Hub Equipment
Private Network Hub Equipment
Hub Equipment
Hub Equipment
Networks or Sites

Figure 10 — Mesh Network

Applications for Mesh networks include:


National and international
■ 
telephony and data networks A
B
Rural telephony
■  A C
B
C
BA
C

Hub Equipment
Hub Equipment
Hub Equipment
Networks or Sites

11
Determining Which Service to Use:
Contact Intelsat
Every satellite network is unique. The design you choose
chiefly depends on three factors:

■ The specific application


■ The geography of the network
■ The volume of traffic required
Intelsat has produced an ”Applications Toolkit” to help
guide you through the design, planning, budgeting and
deployment of a satellite network. Most important, In-
telsat has a team of experts who can understand your
specific requirements and help you to make the right de-
cisions. After deployment, they will continue to help you
optimize your investment.

For more information, please contact your local


regional representative.

Africa Sales
+27 11-535-4700
sales.africa@intelsat.com

Asia-Pacific Sales
+65 6572-5450
sales.asiapacific@intelsat.com

Europe Sales
+44 20-3036-6700
sales.europe@intelsat.com

Latin America & Caribbean Sales


+1 305-445-5536
sales.lac@intelsat.com

Middle East & North Africa Sales


+971 4-390-1515
sales.mena@intelsat.com

North America Sales


+1 703-559-6800
sales.na@intelsat.com

www.intelsat.com

12
Resources
The following sources are recommended for additional information:
Websites, Periodicals and Associations:
1. Intelsat Website — http://www.intelsat.com
2. Intelsat Business Network — http://www.intelsat.com/login.asp
3. International Telecommunications Union (ITU) — http://www.itu.int
4. SatNews — www.satnews.com
6. Space News International — http://www.space.com/spacenews/
7. Tele-Satellite International Magazine — http://www.tele-satellite.com/
8. Via Satellite — http://www.telecomweb.com/satellite/viasatellite/
9. Global VSAT Forum — http://www.gvf.org
10. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Home Page — http://www.ieee.org
11. Satellite Industry Association — http://www.sia.org

Reference Books:
1. ITU Handbook of Satellite Communications, 3rd Ed., 2002, ISBN 0-471-22189-9, Pub: John Wiley & Sons

2. Satellite Communications & Broadcasting Markets Study — Worldwide Prospects to 2010; Pub: Euroconsult,
January 2002

3. Satellite Communications Systems, 3rd Ed., 1998, by G. Maval & M. Bousquet, ISBN 0-471-970379 and
0-471-971669 (Paperback), Pub: John Wiley & Sons

4. Introduction to Satellite Communication, 1987, by Bruce R. Elbert, ISBN 0-89006-229-3, Pub: Artech House

5. Communications Satellite Handbook, 1989, by Walter L. Morgan & Gary D. Gordon, ISBN 0-89006-781-3,
Pub: Wiley Interscience, John Wiley & Sons

6. The Satellite Communications Applications Handbook, 1997, by Bruce R. Elbert, ISBN 0-471-31603-2,
Pub: Artech House

13
Glossary of Terms Used in This Primer
Antenna — A device for transmitting and receiving signals. An antenna is part of an Earth Station.

C-Band — A frequency band in the 4-6 GHz range.

DAMA — Demand Assigned Multiple Access. A way of sharing a channel by assigning capacity on demand.

Downlink — The link from the satellite down to the Earth Station.

Duplex Simultaneous — T
 wo-way transmission over a satellite or terrestrial link.

Earth Station — A device for transmitting and receiving signals.

FDMA — Frequency Division Multiple Access. A way of sharing a channel by assigning different frequencies to
different users.

Footprint — The area of the Earth’s surface from which an Earth Station can transmit to or receive from a
particular satellite.

Frequency Band — A defined portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Geosynchronous Orbit — A satellite orbit 22,300 miles over the equator with an orbit time of exactly 24 hours.

Global Beam — A satellite beam with wide geographic coverage of 40 percent of the Earth’s
surface, as seen from the satellite.

Hemi Beam — A satellite beam with approximately half the geographic coverage of a global beam.

Hertz — A measurement of satellite capacity based on cycles per second.

IDU — Indoor Unit. Comprises equipment not mounted on the antenna system.

Inclined Orbit — Any non-Equatorial orbit of a satellite. In order to conserve fuel, the satellite is allowed to move in
a figure eight pattern over its nominal orbital location. May also be used for photography and to
reach extreme North and South latitudes that cannot be seen from the Equator.

Ka-Band — A frequency band in the 18-30 GHz frequency range, nominally.

kHz — KiloHertz. One KiloHertz is the equivalent of one thousand Hertz, or one thousand cycles per second.
Used to measure frequency and bandwidth.

Ku-Band — A frequency band in the 11-14 GHz range.

14
LAN — Local Area Network. A geographically localized network.

Mesh Network — A network topology where all terminals are connected to each other without the need
for a hub.

MHz — MegaHertz. One MegaHertz is the equivalent of one million Hertz, or one million cycles per second.
Used to measure frequency and bandwidth.

NMS — Network Management System. Equipment and software used to monitor, manage and change elements
and devices in a network.

Orbital Location — The location of a satellite over the Equator, measured in degrees from the
Prime Meridian of 0°.

Simplex — Transmission that flows in only one direction over a channel.

SNG — Satellite News Gathering. Use of a mobile antenna to transmit news stories.

Spot Beam — A satellite beam with concentrated geographic coverage.

Star Network — A network topology where all terminals are connected via a central hub, and can only
communicate with each other via the hub.

TDMA — Time Division Multiple Access. A way of sharing a channel by assigning different time slots to
different users.

Tracking Equipment — Equipment installed on an Earth Station that allows the Earth Station to track the position
of a satellite.

Transmission Plan — A design showing the configuration and capacity (power and bandwidth) resources required
for a particular customer application.

Uplink — The link from the Earth Station up to the satellite.

VSAT — Very Small Aperture Terminal. A very small satellite antenna, usually 1.2-3.0 meters in diameter.

Zone Beam — A satellite beam with approximately one quarter of the geographic coverage over a global beam.

15
Satellite Technology for Communications

About Intelsat

Intelsat operates the world’s first Globalized


Network, delivering high-quality, cost-effective
video and broadband services anywhere in the
world. Intelsat’s Globalized Network combines
the world’s largest satellite backbone with ter-
restrial infrastructure, managed services and
an open, interoperable architecture to enable
customers to drive revenue and reach through
a new generation of network services.

Thousands of organizations serving billions of


people worldwide rely on Intelsat to provide
ubiquitous broadband connectivity, multi-for-
mat video broadcasting, secure satellite com-
munications and seamless mobility services. The
end result is an entirely new world, one that
allows us to envision the impossible, connect
without boundaries and transform the ways in
which we live.

www.intelsat.com

SALES CONTACTS
Africa
+27 11-535-4700
sales.africa@intelsat.com
Asia-Pacific
+65 6572-5450
sales.asiapacific@intelsat.com
Europe
+44 20-3036-6700
sales.europe@intelsat.com
Latin America & Caribbean
+1 305-445-5536
sales.lac@intelsat.com
Middle East & North Africa
+971 4-390-1515
sales.mena@intelsat.com
North America
+1 703-559-6800
sales.na@intelsat.com

16

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