Service needs and systems architecture in satellite communications

This paper examines the projected needs for satellite communications services of two fundamental types, point-to-point and broadcast, through the end of the 20th century, and relates the needs to systems architecture. This is done by considering factors which affect systems architecture, and by relating the service needs to available and developing technologies for satellite communications Systems. Some of these technologies originate from requirements on the different types of systems to share the communications channel capacity of the orbital are in allocated spectral bands. Consideration of the technologies applied to different systems architectures leads to the conclusion that developing capabilities are converging on elimination of the distinction between point-to-point and broadcast services at 12 GHz. This emerges in the discussion of systems architectures that completes the paper.