Versatile, Stationary/Mobile Low-Cost Telecommunication System

We describe a low-cost, versatile microstrip antenna to be used for terrestrial to satellite fixed and mobile point to point links at Ku-band. The Ku band has attracted a great deal of attention in North America and Europe due to the available wide bandwidth and the propagation range, which has enabled it to be used for terrestrial and terrestrial-to satellite links. This makes it particularly attractive for short and medium range communications. This link is versatile and can be re-configured on the fly to provide coverage and increasing omni-directional range. The antenna discussed here can be used for satellite-to-earth communications, both from fixed and mobile terminals. One of the useful features are its ease of manufacture which therefore makes it low cost and easy to install in environments where this is a primary driver. Furthermore, the small-size attracts little attention and creates a stealthy package which is durable in extreme weather scenarios. In conjunction with a low-cost front end radio, which is briefly described, this point-to-point telecommunication system can present a high efficiency, ultra-low cost enabling platform for content delivery (Internet, TV, etc.). Comparisons with other research of wide-area, low-cost network coverage was provided.