Prediction of Faraday rotation impairments in C-band satellite links

Faraday rotation is brought about by the free electrons present in the ionosphere and results in depolarization of linearly polarized signals. The depolarization increases the interference levels encountered by systems employing frequency reuse through orthogonal polarization. In the fixed satellite service, only C-band frequencies are affected by Faraday rotation. An accurate model of Faraday rotation can help in the initial line-up and subsequent adjustments at earth stations to minimize co-channel interference produced by depolarization. The paper describes the impact of Faraday rotation on C-band satellite links and a methodology to predict the levels of impairments expected on a global basis.