Transport challenges facing a next-generation hybrid satellite Internet

This paper considers the transport layer implications by assuming a position where satellite networks form one integrated component of a hybrid Internet architecture. It reviews the key role of transport protocols in providing a reliable and robust end-to-end Internet service. A history of TCP protocol evolution from a satellite perspective is followed by focussing on the role of protocol-enhancing proxies in satellite systems and how these have impacted the introduction of new Internet transport techniques. Current transport research issues are identified and related to two new architectural approaches to highlight the expected performance benefits and derive the implications on the design of geostationary satellite Internet systems as the network evolves toward a next-generation Internet. Copyright r 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.