Advanced Satellite

Communication Technology

Dr. S Pal
ISRO Satellite Centre
Bangalore 560 017
INDIA
• The word "Communication" has lost its
conventional meaning of sending
information from one place to another
place on a wired network to a large
extent and on wireless network in a
limited way. The introduction of
space communication and the present
era of information technology has
changed the current scenario and we
have seen the third technological
revolution (information +
communication = Information
Technology) in the last century.
• The present era is called the It era. The
technological evolutions which have taken place
in the last century, are simply beyond one's
imagination.
• Many technological reversals have been seen like
the telephone which should have been on the
wired network has become wireless while the TV
which was wireless, works on cable. Many
individual spheres of working have become
almost universal, like education has come to the
drawing room from school and colleges, sectors
like banking, medicines, hospitals etc which were
location specific are available on net. There is
tremendous convergence and fusion of
communications, computers and associated
technology in the present era.
• We have heard or read that internet/IP
offers opportunities of convergence of
date, video and voice on the same
network. Most IP related ventures
however, were badly hit by the infamous
Internet bubble in 2001. one of the most
disappointing developments leveraging
on convergence of various technologies
through IP and the power of vast
geographical coverage of satellite in the
satellite market in the last 2 years, is
clearly the satellite IP multicast and
content distribution market.
• There is no shortage of failed ventures
and nonstarters. Despite IPs promise
of convergence and cost efficiencies,
loading video on to core IP
infrastructure networks is still taboo
because of the BW hugry nature of
video transmission. The satellite ISP
backbone market, however is
suffering. The biggest threat is fibre.
• Internet the new incarnation of mass
communication is becoming popular.
Internet the parasite which has almost
eaten away the host - the telecom
channel, is influencing our every
sphere of life. Satellites are
contributing in a big way in spreading
the internet.