A Review of the Two Primary Types of Ka Satellite Systems

The roll-out of Ka-satellites has transitioned from concept to reality, with several systems now in operation and more in the pipeline. Two primary types of systems are emerging: those designed to serve asymmetric broadband applications typified by consumer and corporate internet access, and those designed to serve applications requiring predictable, assured throughput. The key question facing potential adopters of these new systems is which system they should choose for their application. This paper compares and contrasts these two styles of system and provides potential users – particularly the military user-with insights to the types of application each system is best suited to support.