Satellite network in remote cooperative image-based applications

At the inception of the Information Society program by the G7 countries and the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) initiative, national terrestrial (fiber optic cable) networks seem to have no choice but to be interconnected by communication satellites. The NASA ACTS (Advanced Communication Technology Satellite), with its high powered Ka band, near giga-bit speed, and flexible steerable antenna capabilities, is increasingly recognized as playing a critical role in the GII initiative, due to its success in technological demonstration of network integration potential. Hawaii made an early decision and investment in ACTS-related satellite communication technology by acquiring the High Data Rate (HDR) earth station to provide the necessary, on-demand, long-haul link for this remote but strategic mid-Pacific location. Experiments with applications in medical image sharing, supercomputing and graphics networking, remote astronomical observation, and coordinated disaster management, demonstrate not only that high data rate satellite communication is a necessity for remote cooperative image-based applications but also highlight the unique advantages of Hawaii's central location and its potential for providing an essential link in the GII.