Extending the Usable Ka Band Spectrum for Satellite Communications: The CoRaSat Project

Broadband access by satellite in Ka band will become constrained by spectrum availability. In this context, the EU FP7 project CoRaSat is examining the possible spectrum extension opportunities that could be exploited by a database or sensing approach in Ka band via the use of cognitive mechanisms. The database/sensing approach utilises spectrum sharing scenarios between Fixed Satellite Services (FSS), Fixed Services (FS) and Broadcast Satellite Service (BSS) feeder links are considered. Data bases and spectrum sensing have been evaluated to determine white spaces across the shared spectrum for several EU countries. Resource allocation schemes are investigated to place the carriers in the white spaces so as to maximize the throughput of the system. A multibeam satellite system model has been used to demonstrate the capacity gains that can be achieved by using the cognitive schemes. The overall system is being demonstrated in a laboratory trial.