Independent assessment of standards

Standards have been under development through the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems for several years and, in common with other international standards, equipment software and systems are being produced conforming to them. In the field of telecommunications, Type Approval is the means by which equipment from diverse manufacturers is confirmed as conforming to the appropriate standards, poses no threat to network integrity and (especially in the case of satellite communication systems and other wireless networks) will not interfere with other networks. In other words, the interoperability defined by conformance to the standards is assured by requiring equipment to have undergone Type Approval testing prior to any attempt to interconnect with a network. Type Approval requirements and procedures exist for numerous systems and networks, including GSM cellular telephony and satellite communications, as well as for telephone modems and fax machines. This paper concentrates on satellite communications