Satellite Radio: Its Global Impact

TIFR Alumni Lecture By S.Rangarajan A wonder called RADIO

We will stick to the definition of Radio as • Wireless Audio Delivery •Listener cannot by himself choose the contents

“No wonder so many physicists started as radio tinkers, and no wonder, before physicist became a commonplace word, so many grew up thinking they might become electrical engineers” -Gleick in the biography on Richard Feynmann

1 History of Radio Technology

1888: Hertz produces EM waves

1895: Marconi transmits EM Waves

1897: Ship-to-Shore Wireless Communication

1903: First transatlantic message

1922: First Broadcast Station

1950: First FM Broadcast

1999: First Satellite Radio Broadcast

2 Science of Radio

“One ought to be ashamed to make use of the wonders of science embodied in a radio set, while appreciating them as little as a cow appreciates the botanic marvels in the plants she munches.” - Albert Einstein (Aug 1930)

3 Satellite Orbits decided by Applications

Types: LEO,GEO,HEO…..

In a geostationary orbit the satellite is in the same direction in the sky all the time

Such orbits ideal for Broadcasting

Picks up signals from a fixed station and relays instantaneously to huge areas

4 Geo-stationaryGeo-stationary OrbitOrbit

GEO an Equatorial Application Categories: Orbit, hence no FSS, MSS, BSS, DAB… coverage for polar regions

5 Link Design Considerations

A*B/C > Threshold,

Where A is the satellite transmit characteristics, determined by state-of art satellite power, coverage area;

B is Receive characteristics, determined by size and cost of the receive system;

C is propagation characteristics.

Majority GEO satellites (C & Ku) choose B values corresponding to DTH (1 foot antennas) or higher

DAB satellites address Direct-to-Person and hence have B values 100 times lower. Hence, link margin requires A to be 100 times more.

Also, DAB satellites incorporate several digital processing techniques

6 DAB Satellites

Spectrum L-band S-band

Audio Compression

MPEG

AAC+

RF Design

Propagation Models

TDM, MCM, OFDM

Examples

WorldSpace

XM

Sirius

MBSAT

7 Satellite Radio: A Confluence of Technologies

Video Audio

Virtual Scalable RR ittee Classroom aadd lllli iioo ttee SSaa

IInn al tt ttal eerr Live Delivery ii nn Digital iigg eett DD Library

Targets Select Multiple User Audiences Terminals

8 Basic System Architecture

Geo-Stationary High-powered Satellites • Processed and Transparent Payloads • Solar-Powered

New Digital Portable Receivers Broadcasters • Direct Reception • Common Hub through Small • Individual VSAT-like Detachable Antenna Ground Control • Digital Quality Facilities • Proprietary Chipset • Telemetry, Command, with MPEG-2, Layer 3 and Ranging Stations Encoding • Mission Control • Multimedia Capability

Provides a complete end-to-end network

9 Terrestrial MCM Single Frequency Network

LOS to Satellite

elv

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elv Coverage Center elv Repeater Coverage Region 3 1 D All SFN Stations Are Equipped With A TDM/MCM Transcoder D Radiated MCM Signals Synchronized Relative To Center of Coverage 10 Growth of Satellite Radio in the US

In the US there are two systems providing DAB: XM and Sirius

Both use S-band and both have terrestrial augmentation

XM has 3 GEO satellites; Sirius uses 3 HEO (Tundra orbit) satellites

XM started Sep 2001 and has >5 million subscribers

Sirius started July 2002 and has > 2 million subscribers

Both provide >100 radio channels, unique formats, commercial-free, local traffic information etc

OEM partnerships with automobile industry

11 WorldSpace Coverage

In Service

In Service

12 Revival of the Radio

For those on the Move (land/sea/air)

For those occupied otherwise

For the illiterate

For kids

For Teaching

……

13 Audio: How it can be used Satellite

Audio Uplink to Satellite

Uplink Station

Transmission to Audio Receivers

Live/Recorded

Emergency Preparedness Individual Village Classroom

Content : – Locally & regionally relevant – Culturally appropriate – Practical & solution-oriented – Balanced & accurate/non-political 14 Technology to aid Education

15 Teaching with Audio

More human and personal than Print or web

Extempore Delivery and the novelty that goes with it

Intonation,Phrasing & Pacing that are not easily brought out in print or on the web

The Synchronous Data Channel adds a new Dimension to the delivery

16 Integration with existing systems:

•Pilot Experiment in west coast of India, 2000-01

•80 boats fitted with WorldSpace reception

- Encased in water proof enclosure - Powered from the boat - Additional 8W amplifier - Pretuned to the assigned channel

•Warning messages in MP3 format via Internet to the uplink site

•Boats into the sea up to 200 miles

•Valuable experience gained in designing the full system Cyclone Warning System for Fisherman out at Sea

•Pilot Experiment in west coast of India, 2000-01

•80 boats fitted with WorldSpace reception

- Encased in water proof enclosure - Powered from the boat - Additional 8W amplifier - Pretuned to the assigned channel

•Warning messages in MP3 format via Internet to the uplink site

•Boats into the sea up to 200 miles

•Valuable experience gained in designing the full system WorldSpace Reception on a Fishing Boat

•Pilot Experiment in west coast of India, 2000-01

•80 boats fitted with WorldSpace reception

- Encased in water proof enclosure - Powered from the boat - Additional 8W amplifier - Pretuned to the assigned channel

•Warning messages in MP3 format via Internet to the uplink site

•Boats into the sea up to 200 miles

•Valuable experience gained in designing the full system Audio Broadcasting for Emergency Relief

Equal Access Afghanistan & Nepal Indonesia Distance Learning and Disaster Relief Radio Dramas

India Reconstruction and Relief

20 Data Services How the availability of the DAB system can be flexibly exploited

21 Power of Information & Communication Technologies

Information Communications Technologies

From Immediate Disaster Relief to Long-term Development

“With most information technology innovations, we have constantly overestimated the speed with which they will unfold and underestimated their eventual impact.” -Bill Gates 22 Information Vs. Communication Divide

Bridging the Information Divide (One to Many, public)

Commonality of Information requirements

Content has to be based on local needs

Need for low cost connectivity solutions

Bridging the Communication Divide (One to One, private)

Needs local-loop connectivity (Fiber, cable, WLL…)

Economics strongly varies from place to place

Two-way communication not a precondition for narrowing the digital divide

Selective and secure Information delivery is a major catalyst for development

23 Multimedia: How it can be used

•Internet-type downloads without an Internet connection

Multimedia adapter converts receiver to modem for download of data from satellite to computer

Uplink Station

Internet Receiver + MMS Adaptor + computer

24 Using Data Broadcast by Satellite to transfer web pages

Local Area Network

Cache Dial-up Equipment Proxy Server Telephone Network Collection of

relatively stable Using satellite radio web pages on DVD One can do away with the last-mile problem 25 And scale the solution CLASS: Combined Live Audio & Slide Show

What is ...???

Questions via Internet, phone, pager Classroom Teacher

26 Several Applications….

Virtual Classroom(all levels)

“Best” teacher to reach all

Teacher Training (pre or in service)

Supplementary school material

Professional Needs (e.g. health workers)

Radio for Infotainment

Community Information Kiosk

27 Digital Data Signage

POS advertising, Product/brand promotions

Retail industry

“While-you-wait” messaging

Hospitality industry Lounges in bars, restaurants, casinos, hotels and resorts

Personal service industry Waiting areas in banking, laundry, grooming and health care (doctors, dentists, hospitals)

Public spaces Airports, bus/train stations, malls, movie theaters, museums and convention centers, pedestrian and highway billboards Esoteric - Elevators and buses, trucks, and taxis

28 Mobile Broadcast: Satellite Applications Overview Weather Information System

WorldSpace Satellite

Incoming data files from Jeppesen

64 kbps e Real-tim

Internet graphic in display cockpit PFLS

SWIS Server

29 Health Information Delivery

Doctors - Better service, easier/convenient access to latest information

Institutes - Better service, training for medical staff, easier access to latest information

Students - Data on specific topics, easier access

Pharmaceuticals - delivery of information including pricing and new product updates Cost effective, efficient way accessing focused medical and health information

30 Multimedia Delivery

Also on the service: •Emergency Meteorological First Voice Multi-Media Information Service in Africa and Asia •Governance •Health •Teacher training resources •Agriculture

Community workers in 34 centers in rural Eastern Africa receiving NRM data Meteorologists and rural extension workers in Africa and Asia/Pacific Island Nations receive hourly updates of climate information

31 RANET Initiative: Radio and Internet for the Communication of Hydro-Meteorological and Related Information

Critical and timely information on: Disaster Relief Meteorology Via Multi-Media Service to many nations across Africa and Asia/the Pacific

32 Coexistence of different Radio Systems

AM/FM: Primary Formats; Inexpensive radios

Satellite Channels: Specialized Formats; Diversity in sparsely- populated areas; Possible multi-media delivery where Internet is poor

Internet Channels: Allows to engage more deeply and more directly

Podcasting: Allows special contents shared among closed user groups

Even though satellite radio was designed to meet the needs of the affluent mobile customer of uninterrupted, high-quality reception of a variety of formats, the design allows to adapt the same for community needs and one-way delivery of digital contents to multiple destinations selectively, securely and reliably.

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