International Telecommunication Union
Satellite Communication
for Dummies
[email protected]
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
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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
• ½ sec for signal-round trip
• because satellite far away, signal is
weak when it hits earth
o
LEO (low-earth-orbit) satellites
• Advantage: shorter delays
• Disadvantage: complex
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002
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Today’s 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
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Historical Perspective
o
The old days:
•
•
1. The Market
2. The Standards
3. The Workshop
•
o
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
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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
o
End of ’90s: LEOs fall back to earth
• Bankruptcies (Ch 11)
o
Beginning 2000s: LEOs to relaunch
more modestly
Workshop on Satellites in IP and Multimedia - Geneva, 9-11 December 2002
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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
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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
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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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