Gone are the days when satellite-based mobile phone companies struggled to survive. Iridium, Globalstar and Teledesic failed financially as demand did not pick up. The emergence of the internet has changed the game. Regions left out of the footprint area of the traditional geostationary satellites are no longer in a mood to be left out of the benefits. Moreover, billionaires have entered the arena with innovative ideas and assertive approach. The clientele has expanded to include stock markets, financiers, businessmen, public institutions and even the military services. There is a new wave to exploit the internet from space.
Technological innovations have sustained the demand for better and faster communications through space. The use of Ka band frequencies (20—30 Gigahertz) has enabled higher data rates, smaller antennas, narrow beams and greater security. The spectrum can be used more efficiently. Adaptive coding, better compression and....
