Satellite Networks

Satellite Networks In the 1980s, first-generation cellular systems generally provided quite poor geographic coverage. It varied substantially from country to country and from operator to operator, but typically you might experience demographic coverage of 70 percent to 80 percent of the population, which would equate to 50 percent to 60 percent geographic coverage. The difference between demographic and geographic coverage is that, conveniently, people tend to live in concentrated urban areas. Only a few people live in deserts or on remote mountaintops. If people wanted coverage in remote rural areas, then they would need to use a mobile rather than a handset. The mobile had more transmit power available. Also, if installed in a car, with a gain antenna, the mobile would have better transmit and receive performance. However, what people really wanted was ubiquitous coverage, even if using standard handsets. One way to provide ubiquitous coverage, including coverage of mountains and largely uninhabited rural areas was to use satellites.