The Sky's the Limit

The growth of demand for broadband has been seen in satellite communications as it has in other aspects of the market. Satellites carry media content around the globe, which includes satellite television, radio, and broadband services directly to consumers. Satellite communications also allows for mobile or nomadic voice and data globally. They are also critical to disaster recovery and emergency preparedness, providing critical communications following natural disasters. While the sole application of some satellites is the distribution of data, all satellites require communication systems technology. For example, remote sensing satellites may be collecting environmental data, but the data collected and the command and control of the satellite both rely on communication technology. If large amounts of data is being collected, broadband data links are required to avoid loss of data since on-board storage capacity for this data is limited. © 2000-2012 IEEE.