U.S. Domsats

U.S.
Domsats
Domsat is an abbreviation for domestic satellite. Domestic satellites are
used to provide various telecommunications services, such as voice,
data, and video transmissions, within a country. In the United States,
all domsats are situated in geostationary orbit. As is well known, they
make available a wide selection of TV channels for the home entertainment market,
in addition to carrying a large amount of commercial
telecommunications traffic.
U.S. Domsats, which provide a DTH television service, can be classified broadly as
high power, medium power, and low power (Reinhart,
1990). The defining characteristics of these categories are shown in
Table 1.4.
The main distinguishing feature of these categories is the equivalent
isotropic radiated power (EIRP). This is explained in more detail in
Chap. 12, but for present purposes it should be noted that the upper limit
Overview of Satellite Systems 9
TABLE 1.3 INTELSAT Geostationary Satellites
Satellite Location Number of transponders Launch date
901 342°E Up to 72 @ 36 MHz in C-Band June 2001
Up to 27 @ 36 MHz in Ku Band
902 62°E Up to 72 @ 36 MHz in C-Band August 2001
903 325.5°E Up to 72 @ 36 MHz in C-Band March 2002
904 60°E Up to 72 @ 36 MHz in C-Band February 2002
905 335.5°E Up to 72 @ 36 MHz in C-Band June 2002
906 64°E Up to 72 @ 36 MHz in C-Band September 2002
907 332.5°E Up to 72 @ 36 MHz in C-Band February 2003
10-02 359°E Up to 70 @ 36 MHz in C-Band June 2004
Figure 1.4 (a) Typical Vista application; (b) domestic/regional Vista network with
standard A or B gateway. (From Colino, 1985; courtesy of ITU Telecommunication
Journal.)
10
of EIRP is 60 dBW for the high-power category and 37 dBW for the lowpower category,
a difference of 23 dB. This represents an increase in
received power of 102.3 or about 200:1 in the high-power category, which
allows much smaller antennas to be used with the receiver. As noted in
the table, the primary purpose of satellites in the high-power category
is to provide a DBS service. In the medium-power category, the primary
purpose is point-to-point services, but space may be leased on these
satellites for the provision of DBS services. In the low-power category,
no official DBS services are provided. However, it was quickly discovered
by home experimenters that a wide range of radio and TV programming
could be received on this band, and it is now considered to provide a de
facto DBS service, witness to which is the large number of TV receiveonly (TVRO)
dishes that have appeared in the yards and on the rooftops
of homes in North America. TVRO reception of C-band signals in the
home is prohibited in many other parts of the world, partly for aesthetic
reasons, because of the comparatively large dishes used, and partly for
commercial reasons. Many North American C-band TV broadcasts are
now encrypted, or scrambled, to prevent unauthorized access, although
this also seems to be spawning a new underground industry in descramblers. As shown
in Table 1.4, true DBS service takes place in the Ku band.
Figure 1.5 shows the components of a DBS system (Government of
Canada, 1983). The television signal may be relayed over a terrestrial
link to the uplink station. This transmits a very narrow beam signal to
the satellite in the 14-GHz band. The satellite retransmits the television
signal in a wide beam in the 12-GHz frequency band. Individual receivers
within the beam coverage area will receive the satellite signal.
Overview of Satellite Systems 11
TABLE 1.4 Defining Characteristics of Three Categories of United States DBS Systems
High power Medium power Low power
Band Ku Ku C
Downlink frequency 12.2–12.7 11.7–12.2 3.7–4.2
allocation GHz
Uplink frequency 17.3–17.8 14–14.5 5.925–6.425
allocation GHz
Space service BSS FSS FSS
Primary intended use DBS Point-to-point Point-to-point
Allowed additional use Point-to-point DBS DBS
Terrestrial interference possible No No Yes
Satellite spacing degrees 9 2 2–3
Satellite spacing determined by ITU FCC FCC
Adjacent satellite interference No Yes Yes
possible?
Satellite EIRP range (dBW) 51–60 40–48 33–37
NOTES: ITU—International Telecommunication Union; FCC—Federal Communications
Commission.
SOURCE: Reinhart, 1990.
Table 1.5 shows the orbital assignments for domestic fixed satellites
for the United States (FCC, 1996). These satellites are in geostationary
orbit, which is discussed further in Chap. 3. Table 1.6 shows the U.S.
Ka-band assignments. Broadband services, such as Internet (see Chap.
15), can operate at Ka-band frequencies. In 1983, the U.S. FCC adopted
a policy objective, setting 2° as the minimum orbital spacing for satellites
operating in the 6/4-GHz band and 1.5° for those operating in the
14/12-GHz band (FCC, 1983). It is clear that interference between satellite
circuits is likely to increase as satellites are positioned closer
together. These spacings represent the minimum presently achievable
in each band at acceptable interference levels. In fact, it seems likely that
in some cases home satellite receivers in the 6/4-GHz band may be subject to
excessive interference where 2° spacing is employed.
1.5 Polar Orbiting Satellites
Polar orbiting satellites orbit the earth in such a way as to cover the
north and south polar regions. (Note that the term polar orbiting does
not mean that the satellite orbits around one or the other of the poles).

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