Satellites in the evolving communications environment

Summary form only given. The author discusses the peculiar features of satellite technology and illustrates its differing merits in diverse telecommunications applications. The key parameters of a satellite network are described against the background of a conventional telephone system in an attempt to identify constraints and performance optimization typical of this technology. Models of different satellite systems are defined to arrive at a comparative assessment of satellite performance when applied to different telephone services. The author concludes with a discussion of satellite applications to services like television and on-premises communications, identifying again the parameters that establish the viability of satellite networks in these telecommunications applications.<>