Satellite ATM Networks : A Surv

Satellite ATM networks have significant advantages over terrestrial ATM networks. Satellites provide unique advantages such as remote coverage with rapid deployment, distance insensitivity, bandwidth on demand, immunity to terrestrial disasters, and offering broadband links, Satellite ATM networks will play an important role in the rapidly evolving information infrastructure. However, there are several obstacles which need to be overcome so that satellite ATM networks can operate in full service. The objective of this survey is t o present the state of the a r t in satellite ATM networks and to point out open research problems. Satellite ATM Networks: A Surv Ian F. Akyildiz and Seong-Ho Jeong, Georgia Institute of Technology synchronous transfer mode (ATM) is the switching A and multiplexing technique for B-ISDN (broadband integrated services for digital networks) and is widely accepted as the networking technology of the future. ATM technology offers users integration of voice, video, and data services, and the flexibility of accessing bandwidth on demand. O n the other hand, there is increasing recognition of the benefits and advantages of using satellite transmission systems which, in our opinion, will play a significant role in establishing the global information infrastructure. Furthermore, satellites can be the key component in both the communication infrastructure of developing countries and the multimedia communication and information superhighway of technically more advanced countries [l]. The growing interest in the interconnection of satellite and ATM networks is based on the following additional reasons: By using satellite, ATM services can b e provided over a wide geographical area, including remote, rural, urban, and inaccessible areas. Satellite communication systems have a global reach with very flexible bandwidth o 11 -demand cap abilities. This s ig nif icant s t rength of satel l i te communica t ions ideally matches t h e main characteristics of ATM networks which provide bandwidth-on-demand and multimedia services. Satellites offer flexibility in terms of network configuration and capacity allocation to different sites which use ATM networks in various geographical areas. Satellites provide broadcast and multipointto-multipoint capabilities as well as fast unpredictable which may result in maximum resource utilization. New users can easily be added to the system by simply installing the ATM stations at customer premises. As a result, possible network expansions will be a simple task. Satellites can act as a safety valve for optical fiber ATM networks. Fiber failure, or network congestion problems, can be recovered easily by routing traffic through a satellite channel on a demand basis. However, there are several obstacles which need to be overcome so that satellite ATM networks can operate in full ne twork setup which can b e useful in deploying multipoint-to-multipoint cornmunication of ATM networks. Alternative channels can be provided for connections for which the bandwidth demands and traffic characteristics a re Figure 1. Satellite ATMnetwork architecture. 30 0163-6804/97/$10.00