Network Centric Waveform operation over the WGS

The capabilities of the channelizer-switch and the multi-beam/multi-band payload of the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system introduce new bandwidth allocation, network design, and footprint coverage scenarios. The utilization of these capabilities at the ground segment is supported by the Network Centric Waveform (NCW) by allowing multi-beam operation in a single network with fan-in/fan-out strappings and multiple non-contiguous spectral allocations (across 500 MHz) with different gain settings. The support of these WGS capabilities in the ground segment results in efficiencies and unique operational flexibility for the WGS resource planner. In this paper, we study the features of NCW supporting WGS and present empirical results collected over the PHEC (WGS Payload Test-bed).