A DVB/Inmarsat hybrid architecture for asymmetrical broadband mobile satellite services

In order to bridge the gap, both regulatory and technologically, between offering mobile satellite services at L-band today and broadband mobile services at C-band, Ku-band or Ka-band in the future, a short-term solution is foreseen. Therefore, a DVB/Inmarsat hybrid service offering bi-directional asymmetrical satellite connectivity, with a broadband receive channel at Ku-band based on DVB-S, and with a transmit channel at L-band based on Inmarsat Mobile Packet Data Service, has successfully been developed, implemented and tested. The article focuses on the rationale for, and a technical solution, and how this can be evolved to support use of Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Access as transmit channel at L-band. There are no regulatory issues associated with global operation of such a system, and the users can access the services using cost-efficient off-the-shelf equipment, since the well established Inmarsat and DVB standards are utilized. The system has proved its feasibility to offer services like Internet access, email access, fast file transfers, and IP streaming of audio and video, in addition to the traditional Inmarsat services. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.