Low cost satellite land mobile service for nationwide applications

A satellite land mobile system using mobile radios in the UHF band, and Ku-band "Communications Routing Terminals: (earth stations) for a nationwide connection from any mobile location to any fixed or mobile location, and from any fixed location to any mobile location is proposed. The proposed nationwide satellite land mobile service provides: telephone network quality (1 out of 100 blockage) service, complete privacy for all the users, operation similar to the telephone network, alternatives for data services up to 32 Kbps data rates, and a cost effective and practical mobile radio compatible with system sizes ranging from 10⁴to about 4 × 10⁶users. Seven satellite alternatives (ranging from 30' diameter dual beam antenna to 210' diameter 77 beam antenna) along with mobile radios having a senitivity figure of merit (G/T) of -15dB/°K are considered. Optimized mobile radio user costs (including mobile radios, earth terminals, satellite terrestrial tails, service and maintenance, and operating costs) are presented as a function of the number of users with the satellite and mobile radio alternatives as system parameters. The configuration of the mobile radios' "Communications Routing Terminals" along with the appropriate networking and signaling arrangements are included.