A coordinated European effort for the definition of a satellite integrated environment for future mobile communications

The complete integration of a satellite network with a terrestrial cellular network is a system architecture challenge that requires solving problems at both the transmission and network levels. However, the potential advantages of the integrated system suggest careful study of the appropriate solutions. The main technical advantages are: a limited increase in the complexity of the terminal for both the satellite and terrestrial systems, making it attractive for its potential low cost; the fixed earth stations (FESs) of the satellite system are similar to cellular base stations and switching centers, this avoids expensive development of FESs, which can be adapted from the terrestrial stations and may even be collocated with some of them, saving the common parts. The main operational benefits that could be achieved are the extension of the mobile services (bearer services, teleservices, supplementary services) offered by the terrestrial system to not yet covered areas, Eastern Europe and North Africa, aeronautical and maritime mobiles, so that one integrated land/aeronautical/maritime (LAM) system could be conceived for all mobiles. The European COST 227 Integrated Space/Terrestrial Mobile Networks project is discussed.