Satellite Broadcasting for the 80's

Abstract

Satellite broadcasting can supplement existing television services, reach isolated rural populations and provide special services to dispersed populations which, in aggregate, can be quite large. The technology for high power Ku Band (12 GHz) transponders has been demonstrated and examples are available of cost effective consumer-premises receiving systems. This paper describes the technology of satellite TV broadcasting systems, both ground and space, and indicates the salient cost and system parameter tradeoffs versus population served, e.g., cost versus G/T and number of ground terminals, rain fade outage effects and effect of number of satellite beams. Examples of designs, past and future will illustrate possibilities for high power, multiple shaped beam antennas, spacecraft high power generation and sundry problems.