Design Consideration for Multicast Adaptive Error Control Protocols in Broadband Satellite Networks

In this paper, we propose several design considerations of adaptive error control protocols for multicast services in broadband satellite networks. Error control protocols in point-to- multipoint satellite links impose several problems such as unreliability, receiver-heterogeneity, and feedback implosion problems. Satellite links are characterized by higher error rate and burstier error pattern than terrestrial wireline networks. Sources of channel impairment include fading, shadowing, and atmospheric conditions. Consequently, error statistics on the satellite channel are time-varying. Also, depending on where the receiver is located, receivers experience different channel conditions. Because of these problems, i.e., time-varying unreliability and receiver heterogeneity, receivers suffer from errors with respect to space and time. Also, most of the automatic repeat request (ARQ) error control protocols require (negative or positive) feedbacks. This causes feedback implosion problem at the satellite. We will investigate how we need to consider these effects on the design of the adaptive error control protocols for multicast satellite services.