Network Coding Multicast in Satellite Networks

The broadcast nature of satellite networks such as DVB-RCS based systems provides a highly effective medium for content distribution, especially in the case of geographically scattered clients. Non-real-time services typically rely on application level protocols that often use forward error correction (FEC) and carousel data cycling schemes in unidirectional links. The presence of a feedback channel in satellite networks is mostly unexploited in the context of reliable multicast services. We show that network coding protocols offer a native and transparent solution for reliable multicast over satellites. When employing a feedback channel, network coding can reach near real-time performance at an efficiency level close to known theoretical bounds for lossy satellite links.