INTERFERENCE AND FADE MITIGATION TECHNIQUES FOR KA AND Q/V BAND SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Up to the past few months, geostationary telecommunication satellite systems have kept taking advantage of the satellite natural wide area coverage capability, of their rather rapid deployment and efficient capability to provide a telecommunication infrastructure in areas where the terrestrial ones were deficient or did not exist. In a context where “broadband” was the major, if not the only driving factor for the development of telecommunication infrastructures, satellites have imposed themselves as natural carriers for broadcast services while remaining an alternative carrier for point-to-point oriented services. But the situation has changed, and the mid to long term perspectives for geostationary satellites are challenged by their capability to remain competitive, in terms of capacity versus cost and supported services, with regards to the evolution of existing terrestrial technology and the emergence of new ones. For the satellite to keep playing a major role as a carrier for broadcast/multicast services while offering a competitive complementary telecommunication means for the provision of point to point oriented services, it should offer wide capacity, good availability, high flexibility, and guarantee the required quality of service in a cost efficient way.