Ambo University Woliso Campus

Department of Computer Science

▶ Wireless Communication and

Chapter 5:
Wireless Local Loop and Satellite System

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 Outline
 What is WLL?
 Differences with mobile cellular
systems
The future of WLL
 Introduction to satellite
 History of satellite
 Advantages and disadvantages of
satellite
 Application
 Basics of satellite 2
 What is a wireless local loop?
• In a telephone network, a wireless local loop (WLL)
is a generic term for an access system that uses a
wireless link to connect subscribers to their local
exchange in place of conventional copper cable.
• Is a wireless system replacing a dedicated cable
connection between the user and the public landline
system.
• Using a wireless link shortens the construction period
and also reduces installation and operating costs
- WLL is a system that connects subscribers to
the local telephone station wirelessly.
• Systems WLL is based on: Cellular,Satellite
Microcellular 3
 How does WLL
• WLL, which
work? stands for Wireless Local Loop is
of course a t echnol ogy t hat connec
t s subscribers to the PSTN using radio
signals as a substitute for copper for all or
part of the connection between the
subscriber and the switch.
• The difference is that WLL phones usually
stay in a relatively fixed location. i.e. no
mobility of the user devices.
• They are used to provide voice, fax, and data
connections.
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 COMMUNICATION FOR WLL
• Point-to-Point.
• Microwave platform
• Fixed wireless communication does not
require feeds from satellite or from the
local phone service. This reduces the cost
and time for planning miles of cable.

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 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
• Communications Quality
• Short Construction Period
• Low Cost
• Absence Of Interference With Other Wireless
Systems: microwave & broadcasting system
• High Traffic Volume

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 IMPLEMENTATION OF WLL
• Analog Cellular
• Digital Cellular
• Personal Communication Service (PSN)
• Cordless Telephone

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 Advantages of WLL
• Faster deployment
• Lower deployment costs
• Lower network maintenance, management,
and operating costs
• Lower network extension costs
• High bandwidth availablability.

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 Disadvantages of WLL
• The technology is more costly due to the need
for research and development
• The technology has not been tested over a long
term of time for reliability and repair costs
• Customer accessibility is still low in the US
• Market investment is slow in the US

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 Future of WLL / Overview
• Depends on
– economic development
– existing infrastructure of a region
• Offers
– market competition
– quick deployment
– relatively reliable service at low costs

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Satellite
systems

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 Introduction
• Satellite is a system that supports mobile
communications
• It offers global coverage without wiring costs for base
stations and is almost independent of varying population
densities
• Two or more stations on Earth
– Called ‘Earth Stations’
• One or more stations in Earth Orbit
– Called ‘Satellites’
• Uplink = transmission to satellite
• Downlink = transmission to earth station
• The satellite converts uplink transmissions into downlink
transmission via a ‘transponder’
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Satellite
Any body orbiting around a planet or
star.
Real satellites v.sArtificial satellites
easily
a install electronic
🞂rtificial satellites are preferred since
s 🞂atellites are
equipment also far from the earth
real
we
a can
long
creating delay in communication.
can provide transmission capability
to and from any location on earth;

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 History of satellite communication
Satellite communication began after the Second World War
when scientists knew that it was possible to build rockets that
would carry radio transmitters into space.
1945 Arthur C. Clarke publishes an essay about “Extra
Terrestrial
Relays”
1957 first satellite SPUTNIK by Soviet Union during the cold war
1960 first reflecting communication satellite ECHO by US
1963 first geostationary satellite SYNCOM for news
broadcasting
1965 first commercial geostationary satellite “Early Bird“
(INTELSAT I): 240 duplex telephone channels or 1 TV
channel, 1.5 years lifetime
1976 three MARISAT satellites for maritime communication
1982 first mobile satellite telephone system INMARSAT-A
1988 first satellite system for mobile phones and data
communication INMARSAT-C (data-rates about 600
bits/s) 14
Advantages of satellite
The advantages of satellite
communication over terrestrial
communication are:
The coverage area of a satellite greatly exceeds
that of a terrestrial system.
Transmission cost of a satellite is independent of the
distance from the center of the coverage area.
 Satellite to Satellite communication is very precise.
 Higher Bandwidths are available for use.

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 Disadvantages of satellite
 Launching satellites into orbit is
costly.
 Satellite bandwidth is gradually
becoming used up.
 There is a larger propagation delay
in satellite communication than in
terrestrial communication

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Applications

Satellites are used in the following

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Applic ations…
� Global telephone
� backbones
🞂 it is being replaced by fiber optical cables crossing
the oceansof the tremendous capacity of fiber optical
Because
links & much lower delay compared to satellites.
� Connections for remote or developing areas
�
e.g.,researchers on Dallol-Afar
� Global mobile communication
�
to extend the area of coverage existing mobile phone
networks.

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Basics
A satellite is essentially a microwave
repeater
in the sky which receives
signals from
transmitting stations on earth and
relays
these signals back to the receiving
stations on the earth or another
satellite.

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Basic s…
uplink :transmission from the earth to the
satellite
downlink :from the satellite to the earth.
orbit:the path in which a satellite travels
around the earth.
footprint:the area that the signal from a
satellite is aimed at (the signal power is
maximum at the center of the footprint and
decreases as we move away from it)
Earth Stations – antenna systems on or
near earth
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Basic s…
Transponder : electronics in the satellite that
receive a signal on one frequency and
amplify the signal & transmit it on another
frequency.
Today’s satellitesresemble flying routers.
Today’s communication satellites provide
many functions higher communicationlayers,
e.g., inter-satellite routing error correction
etc.

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Basic s…
period:is the time required for a satellite to make a
complete trip around the earth.
� determined by Kepler’s law,which defines the period as
� a function of the distance of the satellite from the center
� of the earth
� period = C x distance1.5,
wher
e
� C = 1/100,period is in seconds and distance
�
in kms period of the
ex.1.the
Moon
� located approximately 384,000 km above
�
the earth the radius of the earth is 6378
�
km = (1/100) (384,000+6378)1.5  2,439,090
period
�
s  28.23
days  1 month
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Basics…
2.the period of a satellite located at an orbit
approximately 35,786 km
� period = (1/100) (35,786+6378)1.5  86,579 s  24
�
hours (the same as the rotation speed of the earth -
called Geosynchronous Earth Orbit)
there exist two VanAllen belts:layers that
contain charged particles.
� 2,000–6,000 km (innerVanAllen
�
belt) 15,000–30,000 km
�
A (outerVanAllen
�
belt)in one of these two belts
satellite orbiting
would be totally destroyed by the energetic
charged particles .
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Basic s…
Mobile user link (MUL) - communication with
the satellite and the mobile users.
Gateway link (GWL) - communication with the
satellite and the base station controlling the
satellite,which acts as
gateway to other networks.
Intersatellite links (ISL) - Direct
communication
� facilitates direct between Satellites
communication . users within
between
� different footprints without using base stations.
Saving extra links from satellite to earth can reduce
latency for data packets and voice data.
Some satellites have special antennas to create
smaller cells using spot beams.

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Basic s…

Inter Satellite
Link (ISL)
Mobile
User Link MU
Gateway L
(MUL)
Link (GWL) GW
L
small cells

(spotbeam
s)

base
station or
footprin
gateway
t

ISD PST GS
N N M

PSTN:Public User
Switched data
Telephone Network
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Basic s…
Orbit
Satellite orbits can be circular or elliptical.
Satellites in circular orbits always keep the same
distance to the earth’s surface.
To keep the satellite in a stable
circular orbit Fg = Fc,i.e.,both forces
must be equal.
Where,
Fg is the attractive force of the
earth due to gravity.
Fc is the centrifugal force trying to
pull the satellite away
• If the satellite does not have a circular orbit,the
closest point to the earth is called the perigee. 26
Basic s…

satellite
orbit

perigee


incli
nati
on 

equatorial plane

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Basics : Factors in satellite communication
The inclination angle δ:is the angle between
the equatorial plane and the plane described by
the satellite orbit.
� An inclination angle of 0 degrees means that the
�
satellite is exactly above the equator.
The elevation angle ε:is the angle between
the center of the satellite beam and the plane
tangential to the earth’s surface
� an elevation less than 10 degrees is considered
�
useless for communication.(rain absorption)

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 Basics…
Elevation:
angle  between center of satellite
beam and surface

minimal elevation:

elevation needed at least
to communicate with the
satellite

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 Basics: How Satellites are used
• Service Types
 Fixed Service Satellites (FSS)
• Example: Point to Point Communication
 Broadcast Service Satellites (BSS)
• Example: Satellite Television/Radio
• Also called Direct Broadcast Service (DBS).
 Mobile Service Satellites (MSS)
• Example: Satellite Phones

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Classification of satellites

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GEO(Geostationary orbit) satellites
These satellites are in orbit 35,863 km above
the earth’s surface along the equator.
Objects in Geostationary orbit revolve around
the earth at the same speed as the earth
rotates. This means GEO satellites remain in
the same position relative to the surface of
earth.
Eg.VSATs

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GEO
Advantag
es:
� Three GEO satellites are enough for a complete
� coverage of almost any spot on earth.
Senders and receivers can use fixed antenna
positions,no adjusting is needed.
GEOs are ideal forTV and radio broadcasting.
Lifetime expectations for GEOs are rather high,at about
15 years.
� GEOs typically do not need a handover due to
� the large footprint.

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GEO
Disadvantag
es:
� Northern or southern regions of the earth have
� more problems receiving these satellites
i.e.,larger antennas are needed in this case.
� The transmit power needed is relatively high
� which causes problems for battery powered

� devices.
� These satellites cannot be used for small mobile
phones.The
biggest problem for voice and also data
communication is the high latency.

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LEO(Low earth orbit) satellites
LEO satellites are much closer to the earth
than GEO satellites,ranging from 500 to
1,500 km above the surface.
LEO satellites don’t stay in fixed position
relative to the surface,and are only visible for
15 to 20 minutes each pass.(period:95 to 120
minutes)
A network of LEO satellites is necessary
for LEO satellites to be useful.

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LE O
� Advantage
�
A LEO satellite’s proximity to earth compared to a
GEO satellite gives it a better signal strength and
less of a time delay,which makes it better for
point to point communication.
low transmit power
A LEO satellite’s smaller area of coverage is less
of a waste of bandwidth.

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LE O

Disadvantage
needs many satellites if global coverage is to be
reached.50– 200 or even more satellites in orbit
The short time of visibility handover between
different satellites.
The high number of satellites combined
with the fast movements results in a high
complexity of the whole satellite system.
short lifetime of about five to eight years due to
atmospheric drag and radiation from the
innerVanAllen belt1.

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ME O (M ediu m earth orbit )
satellites
A MEO satellite is in orbit somewhere between
8,000 km and 18,000 km above the earth’s
surface.
MEO satellites are similar to LEO
satellites in functionality.
MEO satellites are visible for much longer periods
of time than LEO satellites,usually between 2 to
8 hours.
MEO satellites have a larger coverage area
than LEO satellites.
Eg.GPS
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ME O
Advantag
e
 A MEO satellite’s longer duration of visibility and
wider footprint means fewer satellites are needed in
a MEO network than a LEO network.
Disadvantage
 A MEO satellite’s distance gives it a longer time delay
and
weaker signal than a LEO satellite,though not as bad
as a GEO satellite.

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Q u estion s
1. Explain the term uplink, downlink, orbit, and footprint!
2. What is Transponder
3. What does it mean perigee?
4. What are the three classification of satellites and
explain
their difference briefly?

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HEO(Highly elliptical orbit) satellites
Highly elliptical orbit (HEO):This class
comprises all satellites with noncircular
orbits.
Currently,only a few commercial communication
systems using satellites with elliptical orbits are
used.
These systems have their perigee over large
cities to improve communication quality.

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R outing
� two different
�
methods
� If satellites offer ISLs,traffic can be routed
�
between the satellites.
� If not,all traffic is relayed to earth,routed there,and
� relayed back to a satellite.

routing with ISLs offer lower latency.

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Localization
Mechanisms similar to GSM(but satellite is
also in the move)
Gateways maintain registers with user data
� HLR (Home Location Register):static user data
�
VLR (Visitor Location Register):(last known)
� location of the mobile station
�
SUMR (Satellite User Mapping
Register):
satellite assigned to a mobile station
positions of all satellites

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Localization…
Registration of mobile
stations
� Mobile station sends a signal to one or more
�
satellites Satellites receiving such signals
�
�
report to gateway.
�
Gateway determines the location of
� the user. request user data from HLR
updateVLR
Calling
� and SUMR
a mobile
�
station
� Call is forwarded to a gateway.HLR/VLR are
�
� referred.
�
�
Using SUMR,the appropriate satellite can be found
�
to setup the connection.

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H andover
important topic in satellite systems
using MEOs and i particular LEOs
The handover is divided into four types:
a Intra-satellite handover: user
) moves between spot beams of the same
b)
satellite.
Inter-satellite handover: If a user leaves the
footprint of a satellite or if the satellite moves
away, a handover to the next satellite takes
place.
This might be a hard handover switching at
one moment or a s handover using both
satellites (and even more) at the same time.
Inter-satellite handover can also take place between
satellites if they support ISLs.
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Handover…
c) Gateway handover: While the
mobile user and satellite might still
have good contact, the satellite migh move
away from the current gateway. The satellite has
to connect to another gateway.
d Inter-system handover: This
)
type systems
concerns different of (handover
handover between
terrestrial and satellite links).(vertical handover)
� seamless handover between satellite
�
systems
systems or and is still
vice versa terrestrial
a hot
research issue .

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Launching of satellite
The main steps in launching of a
satellite are: vehicle carries a satellite into space.
� The launch
� Once in space,the satellite is separated from its carrier.
� Once on its own,the satellite is directed by its propulsion
�
systems to reach the correct orbit.
�
� Once in the correct orbit,the satellite is considered
�
� successfully launched but not operational.
� To be operational,the satellite goes through a series of
� tests and system activations.
� Once operational,the satellite starts serving
�
Redundant
its users. hardware is usually installed in
satellites for fault tolerance.
satellites are built with technology that
takes into consideration harsh space
conditions.
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Reading
assignment
Read about FrequencyAllocations in
Satellites.
Ethiopia‘s Satellite Communication Earth
Station.

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