Review of European activities concerned with defining the satellite component of UMTS

The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) will predominantly be a terrestrial mobile system, however, it is envisaged that a satellite component will also be required. Bearing this in mind, two major European projects, COST 227 and SAINT, are currently in the process of defining a satellite component of UMTS. This paper summarises the key results of both projects, comparing and contrasting the two projects' approach to the task of defining the satellite component of UMTS.<
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