VSAT History

The concept of the geostationary orbit was originated by Russian theorist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, an Imperial Russian and Soviet rocket scientist and pioneer of the astronautic theory. He wrote articles in space travel at the turn of the century. 

In the 1920s, Hermann Oberth and Herman Potocnik, aka Herman Noordung, described an orbit at an altitude of 35,900 kilometers. Its orbital period, or the time for it to make one complete orbit about another object, exactly matched the Earth’s rotational period, making it appear to hover a fixed point on the Earth’s equator. 

Arthur C. Clarke contributed to the understanding of satellites through an article published in Wireless World in October 1945 titled “Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give Worldwide Radio Coverage?” In this article, Clarke not only determines the orbital characteristics/elements, or the parameters required to uniquely identify a specific orbit, necessary for a geostationary orbit, but also discusses the frequencies and power needed for communications. 

Live satellite communications was developed in the sixties by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), named Syncom 1-3. It is transmitted live coverage of the 1964 Olympics in Japan to viewers in the United States and Europe. Soon after, on April 6, 1965, the first commercial satellite was launched into space, Intelsat I, nicknamed Early Bird. 

The first commercial VSATs were C band (6 GHz) receive-only systems by Equatorial Communications using spread spectrum technology. More than 30,000 60 cm antenna systems were sold in the early 1980s. Equatorial later developed a C band (4/6 GHz) two-way system using 1 m x 0.5 m antennas and sold about 10,000 units in 1984-85. 

In 1985, Schlumberger Oilfield Research co-developed the world’s first Ku band (12-14 GHz) VSATs with Hughes Aerospace to provide portable network connectivity for the oil field drilling and exploration units. Ku Band VSATs make up the vast majority of sites in use today for data or telephony applications. The largest VSAT network (more than 12,000 sites) was developed by Spacenet and MCI for the US Postal Service.

See: SDI is No "Star Wars"

Hughes HX System Employs New IPoS-B Open Satellite Standard

Hughes is now employing the new IP-over-satellite 1008-B air interface, also know as the (IPoS-B). The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) approved technology has several new feature which improved performances in fixed and mobile markets. Some of the features of the IPos-B include mobility support, closed loop timing (CLT), mesh communication with peer-to-peer synchronization, and inroute control signaling security.

Read more about this wireless communication update

The Advantages of Wireless Communication

Plainly speaking, wireless communication is a transfer of information without any physical connection between two or more points. Because of this absence of any “physical infrastructure”, wireless communication has certain advantages. This would often include collapsing distance or space. Since there is no need for physical connections like cable or fibre, communications is not limited to an area. Case in point, are your smartphones. Without wireless communication technologies like in most landline phones, you’d be stuck at home, and the convenience of carrying a device anywhere would be impossible. Wireless communications services can also be seen in Internet technologies such as Wi-Fi.

With no network cables hampering movement, you can now connect with almost anyone, anywhere anytime. On-demand services is thus possible with wireless communication systems. Improvements can also be seen in speed. Notice how wireless internet connectivity is far more efficient than dial-up.

Geographic distance is no longer a problem as well. You can find yourself in the middle of the desert or in some remote, tropical rainforest and still manage to connect to the Internet or make important calls thanks to technologies like satellite broadband and satellite communications trailers.

This mobility and convenience offered by wireless communications present opportunities to improve various industries and sectors of society. In rural regions, online education is now possible. Educators no longer need to travel to far-flung areas to teach their lessons thanks to live streaming of their educational modules. Miners in the outback can rely on satellite phones to call their loved ones, and thus, help improve their general welfare by keeping them in touch with the people who mean the most to them. Costs are dramatically reduced in wireless communications because there is no longer any need to build expensive terrestrial infrastructure like fibre or cables.