Satellite communication systems are one of the most developing areas of information exchange. This type of communication is widely used for commercial, military, and civilian purposes.

There are several directions, which are based on the transmission of data through various repeaters that are in Earth's orbit:

• communication in space;
• Global Positioning and Navigation System (GPS);
• personal satellite communication;
• television broadcasting;
• telephony and broadband transmission of information packets.

The principle of operation of the satellite communication system

Satellite communication and broadcasting systems are a whole complex of equipment consisting of a repeater in orbit and a certain number of ground stations.

The principle of operation of the satellite system is quite simple – the signal is transmitted from one of the ground stations directly to the satellite, from which it is relayed to other objects within the repeater's coverage area.

There is no signal correction (amplification, redirection, change) on the passive repeater. The high effect is achieved due to the wide coverage area of the satellite repeater.

All modern satellite mobile communication systems have exceptionally active repeaters that not only receive the signal from the ground station but also amplify it and direct it directly to the receiving area.

Mobile satellite communication systems have been developed to improve the quality of signal reception and ensure constant communication, regardless of the current position of the satellite. This is a complex of equipment that, in addition to subscriber terminals and associated stations, includes satellites that are in geostationary (mobile) orbit.

Mobile satellite communication is an ideal solution, which has no analogs, for providing radio communications in regions where it is not possible to use fixed communications due to certain factors (lack of infrastructure, insufficient coverage, difficult weather conditions).

A little history of the satellite communication system

The concept of satellite communication originates in 1945 when the scientific work of the English scientist Arthur C. Clarke was published under the title "Extraterrestrial repeaters".

For about 10 more years, the world scientific community did not pay attention to theoretical works, until the Americans launched the first Echo-1 space repeater in August 1960 to improve transatlantic communications.

Thanks to new technologies and improved equipment, personal communication satellite systems differ significantly from their prototypes in the middle of the last century.

Key advantages of this type of communication

Modern satellite communication has several advantages over other methods of information transmission:

• stability. Due to the wide coverage, even just one satellite is enough to transmit a signal over huge distances without involving ground intermediate stations.;
• low cost. The price for using the communication channel does not depend on the number of end subscribers. Today there is a tendency to reduce the cost of satellite communication services due to the expansion of the customer base without additional costs (modernization of equipment, launch of new satellites, construction of ground-based repeaters);
• channel width. The use of a broadband band ensures the transmission of a large data stream in a short time;
• reliability. The probability of transmitting an erroneous packet of information (distortion, etc.) is almost zero due to modern technologies that detect them and correct distortions in the signal.