Assessment of the channel offered by a high elevation orbit satellite to mobiles in Europe-narrowband results, wideband experiments

To date there is little or no actual measured data on the nature of the radio channel offered to a mobile unit at L-band by a high elevation orbit (HEO) satellite. To obtain this information, a research project was initiated by the Radiocommunications Agency of the United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry (UKDTI) and placed with the University of Bradford (UK). The fundamental aims of the project were to provide a quantitative knowledge of both narrowband and wideband statistics for the HEO channel; and to use this data to highlight differing aspects of the channel offered by satellites in high elevation as opposed to geostationary orbits. It was decided that a suitably equipped aircraft would serve as an airborne signal source. This source, flown at various elevation angles from the mobile would then serve as a simulated satellite