Radio resource management across multiple protocol layers in satellite networks: a tutorial overview

Satellite transmissions have an important role in telephone communications, television broadcasting, computer communications, maritime navigation, and military command and control. Moreover, in many situations they may be the only possible communication set-up. Recent trends in telecommunications indicate that four major growth market/service areas are: messaging and navigation services (wireless and satellite), mobility services (wireless and satellite), video delivery services (cable and satellite), and interactive multimedia services (fibre/cable, satellite). The major drawback when using geostationary satellites (GEO) is the long delay, which can have a great impact on the end-to-end delay user requirements. Moreover, atmospheric conditions may seriously affect the data transmitted via satellite. Since the satellite bandwidth is a relatively scarce resource compared to the terrestrial (e.g., the optical transport networks), and the environment is harsher, resource management of the radio segment assumes an important role in the system’s efficiency and economy. This tutorial aims to give the basic elements of telecommunications via GEO satellite, with emphasis on the issue of radio resource management. The low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are briefly discussed. Currently, after the IRIDIUM service disaster, LEO constellations are no longer a hot research field; however, in the future they may again play an important role. Aspects considered will include basic transmission and multiple access techniques, channel modelling and fade countermeasures, and their performance analysis done by means of theoretical, experimental, and simulation tools.