International Telecommunication Union

Satellite Communication
for Dummies
Reinhard.Scholl@itu.int
Deputy to the Director
Telecommunication Standards Bureau
www.itu.int/ITU-T
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia
Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

Contents

o
o
o

The Market
The Standards
The Workshop

Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

Satellite Physics
o

Geostationary satellites (36,000 km)

Stay over a fixed point on the ground
Advantage:

1. The Market

simple

2. The Standards

Disadvantage:

3. The Workshop

sec for signal-round trip

because satellite far away, signal is
weak when it hits earth

LEO (low-earth-orbit) satellites

Advantage: shorter delays
Disadvantage: complex
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

Todays Satellite
Communication Services
1. Voice Trunking
1. The Market
2. The Standards
3. The Workshop

2. Mobile telephony
3. Broadband Internet
4. Digital television

Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

Historical Perspective
o

The old days:

1. The Market
2. The Standards
3. The Workshop

Communications satellite research &

deployment: early 60s
Main instrument for transoceanic
communications
Monopolistic markets

Recent developments:

Liberalization of satellite industry

Privatization of treaty organizations
Competition with other transport media:

Fiber for voice/data

o

A single strand can carry more data than all existing

satellites combined (acc. to Telegeography)

Cable for TV-broadcasting

Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

LEOs Roller Coaster Ride

o

Early 90s: LEOs reach for the stars

mobile telephony:

1. The Market

Iridium, Globalstar, ICO

2. The Standards

Internet-in-the-sky:

3. The Workshop

Teledesic

End of 90s: LEOs fall back to earth

Bankruptcies (Ch 11)

Beginning 2000s: LEOs to relaunch

more modestly
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

Risks of Satellite Industry

o

Long wait between design and

profitability:
Many satellites make money only
after 10 years in orbit
Need to build entire network before
signing up the first customer

1. The Market
2. The Standards
3. The Workshop

o
o

Manufacturers must lock down

technology > 3 years before launch
Betting on a market up to 15 years in
the future
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

World Satellite Services

Revenue
in billion $

est.

Subscription/retail services revenues

1. The Market
2. The Standards

Transponder leasing revenues

(Source: Satellite Industry Association)

3. The Workshop

44.4
39.2
31.5

15.6

18.3

22.5

10.6
5.2

5.7

6.1

7.2

1996

1996

1998

1999

7.7

2000

7.2
7.2
2001

Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

7.8

2002
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Where to Go?

1. The Market
2. The Standards
3. The Workshop

o Need for:
differentiating products & services
new markets
competitive pricing
o Provision of services to end-users
Broadband bi-directional data
(Internet) access
Sharing of resources to reduce costs ?!
Customized interfaces / APIs ?!
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

What is Being Done in ITU-T?

1. The Market
2. The Standards
3. The Workshop

o High-level coordination activities:

ICG-SAT: coordination between and
within ITU-T and ITU-R activities
o Mid- and low-level coordination:
Mediacom2004 (ITU-T SG 16)
IP Project (ITU-T SG 13)
o Exploring opportunities for synergy

with ITU-D
o Important: specifications to take
satellites into account
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

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Possible Standardization
Topics
1. The Market

o Common service definition approach

2. The Standards

o Common service interfaces

3. The Workshop

o Defined user premises equipment

and interfaces
o Resources for seamless
interconnection across networks

Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

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Workshop Objectives
o Examine business cases for satellite services
1. The Market
2. The Standards
3. The Workshop

o Identify standards to be developed which

help satellite industry to make money

o Increase awareness of ITU-T and ITU-R
related studies
o Coordinate with other SDOs and forums
o Enhance studies on the possibility of use of
satellites for bridging digital divide

Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

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Thank you to the

Steering Committee
o Paolo Amadesi
1. The Market
2. The Standards
3. The Workshop

o Brian Moore

o Vladimir Androuchko o Mark Neibert

o Fabio Bigi
o Tolga Ors
o Simao Campos
o Pierre-Andre Probst
o Greg Jones

o Reinhard Scholl

o Sastri Kota

o Georges Sebek

o Chae-Sub Lee

o David Weinreich

o Yves Montfort

+ thank you to numerous

ITU staff
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002

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