Intelnet services - A global data distribution and collection scheme

Responding to the recent availability of very small earth-stations (commonly called micro terminals) for data/voice communications, INTELSAT has introduced a new service called INTELNET. INTELNET services are designed to operate with two different modulation and coding techniques, i.e. spread spectrum and binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) with rate 1/2 forward error correction (FEC). The INTELNET I service is a data distribution service, whereas the INTELNET II service is a data collection service. These services are facilitated by the use of micro terminals at remote locations (i.e. outposts) which will be linked through the INTELSAT space segment to relatively large INTELSAT earth-stations (e.g. Standard A, B, C and E-3). INTELNET services are leased transponder services offered on a range of INTELSAT satellites in C- or Ku-bands on a pre-emptible or non-pre-emptible basis. These services are offered on a full-time or occasional-use basis, by assigning predetermined satellite resources of bandwidth and power with a smallest allotment of 1 MHz. In this paper, the system design and network architecture for the INTELNET I and II services are addressed. Representative transmission parameters have also been developed for the INTELNET I and II services. System cost considerations as a result of the use of micro terminals are analysed.