Satellite research papers

One of the most notable impacts of satellite technology has been in the news media. Although the video images had been jittery, and the audio sometimes dropped off, CNN’s use of a videophone in Afghanistan after the events of September 11th proved that content is the most important element in news.

Many health and emergency response teams, including the American Red Cross have adopted satellite technology within their means of communication in times of trouble, especially in remote areas. In 1995, Hurricane Marilyn devastated communications in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Drawbacks to these satellites are that due to the high altitude it takes a quarter of a second for signals to travel to and from the satellite, delaying the responses during a conversation. Also the higher altitude means a weaker signal so larger antennas are needed to maintain overall coverage.

From direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television, to satellite phones, to credit card transactions, to the Internet, corporations and consumers are embracing these new services and placing demands on bandwidth. With this demand have come expectations in terms of basic service costs, hardware costs, and ease-of-use.