Next-generation satellite networks: architectures and implementations

A new generation of satellite networks is being developed to handle highly bursty Internet and multimedia traffic. In these networks, satellite links are used for interconnecting remote network segments as well as for providing direct network access to homes and businesses. In this environment, the satellite network must support not only circuit switched traffic, but also packet services with highly bursty traffic patterns. The traditional circuit switched approach based on the user or network signaling is inadequate to carry dynamically varying packet traffic efficiently, necessitating faster bandwidth allocation solutions. Standard interworking solutions and air interfaces are very important for interoperability leading to proliferation of satellite networks to potentially millions of home and business users. In this article we provide an overview of the standardization effort that has started at the TIA in the area of satellite ATM networks. Subsequently, a bandwidth-on-demand multiservice satellite network architecture implementation is described.