Broadband Satellite Communications for Internet Access

"This book is by far the most comprehensive and orderly treatment of the subject. It is the work of experts with a wealth of both theoretical and practical experience with the subject and its connecting disciplines. It is an integral work... concepts and notation are at the same consistent level throughout the book. Quality of Service (QoS) is an absolutely critical part of any telecommunication services. This work fills a gap in the literature of what possibilities there are for satellites in providing global Internet services." Excerpted from the Foreword by Raymond L. Pickholtz, The George Washington University Broadband Satellite Communications for Internet Access is a systems engineering methodology for satellite communication networks. It discusses the implementation of Internet applications that involve network design issues usually addressed in standard organizations. Various protocols for IP- and ATM-based networks are examined and a comparative performance evaluation of different alternatives is described. This methodology can be applied to similar evaluations over any other transport medium. This book, suitable as a teaching text as well as a reference, covers: -Satellite networks: technology, history and broadband communication satellites planned and launched into service. -Trends Analysis: satellite networks covering physical, MAC, IP, transport layer protocols with an emphasis on TCP enhancements to account for fading, errors, noise, Doppler shifts and nomadic behavior. -Quality of Service (QoS): end-to-end QoS model, framework and architectures including IntServ, DiffServ and MPLS traffic engineering for satellite IP networks, application QoS mapping. -Satellite IP: design and implementation, DiffServ based QoS performance models for TCP and UDP traffic for GEO and MEO configurations. -Interactive Multimedia over Satellite: TDMA and CDMA based return channel protocol models and analysis for DVB-RCS networks. -Satellite ATM: analysis of fundamental questions (e.g. buffer requirements, TCP/ATM, efficiency, fairness, and multiple access models). -International Standards: definitions, processes and agreed objectives for satellite IP and satellite ATM networks-ITU-R, ITU-T, IETF, ETSI, ATM Forum. Whether you're a researcher, systems engineer, or a telecommunications/network specialist, Broadband Satellite Communications for Internet Access provides a comprehensive perspective on satellite networks. It addresses the end-to-end protocol stack, satellite design principles, QoS methodologies and international standards for building satellite network systems for multimedia applications. Written for: Researchers, systems engineers, telecommunications/network specialists