Satellite Data Telecommunication Handbook 2018 edition WEATHER CLIMATE WATER CLIMATE WEATHER WMO-No. 1223 Satellite Data Telecommunication Handbook 2018 edition WMO-No. 1223 EDITORIAL NOTE Typefaces employed in this volume do not signify standard or recommended practices, and are used solely for legibility. The word shall is used to denote practices that are required for data representation to work. The word should denotes recommended practices. METEOTERM, the WMO terminology database, may be consulted at http://public.wmo.int/en/ resources/meteoterm. Readers who copy hyperlinks by selecting them in the text should be aware that additional spaces may appear immediately following http://, https://, ftp://, mailto:, and after slashes (/), dashes (-), periods (.) and unbroken sequences of characters (letters and numbers). These spaces should be removed from the pasted URL. The correct URL is displayed when hovering over the link or when clicking on the link and then copying it from the browser. WMO-No. 1223 © World Meteorological Organization, 2018 The right of publication in print, electronic and any other form and in any language is reserved by WMO. Short extracts from WMO publications may be reproduced without authorization, provided that the complete source is clearly indicated. Editorial correspondence and requests to publish, reproduce or translate this publication in part or in whole should be addressed to: Chairperson, Publications Board World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 7 bis, avenue de la Paix Tel.: +41 (0) 22 730 84 03 P.O. Box 2300 Fax: +41 (0) 22 730 81 17 CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Email: [email protected] ISBN 978-92-63-11223-1 NOTE The designations employed in WMO publications and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WMO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WMO in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised. PUBLICATION REVISION TRACK RECORD CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . vii 1. Introduction and overview .................................................... 8 1.1 Introduction .......................................................... 8 1.2 Why satellite communication?. 8 1.3 Connectivity options for remote instruments .............................. 8 1.4 Types of satellite orbit .................................................. 9 1.5 Antenna issues ........................................................ 11 2. Satellite systems currently in service ............................................ 12 2.1 Introduction .......................................................... 12 2.2 Argos (information updated in April 2018) ................................ 13 2.3 Data Collection Service (information updated in April 2018) ................. 14 2.4 Globalstar (information updated in April 2018) ............................ 15 2.5 Gonets (information updated in April 2018) ............................... 16 2.6 Inmarsat (information updated in April 2018) .............................. 16 2.6.1 Land services ................................................ 16 2.6.2 Marine services .............................................. 17 2.6.3 Aeronautical services .......................................... 17 2.7 Iridium (information updated in April 2018) ............................... 18 2.7.1 Short Burst Data .............................................. 18 2.7.2 Circuit Switched Data and Router-Based Unrestricted Digital Internetworking Connectivity Solutions .......................... 19 2.7.3 Iridium Burst ................................................ 19 2.7.4 Pilot ........................................................ 19 2.8 O3B (information updated in April 2018) .................................. 19 2.9 Orbcomm (information updated in April 2018) ............................ 20 2.10 Thuraya (information updated in April 2018) .............................. 20 2.11 VSAT (information updated in April 2018) ................................. 21 3. How to purchase and install a satcom system .................................... 21 3.1 Deciding on priorities .................................................. 22 3.2 Coverage ............................................................. 23 3.3 Power supplies ........................................................ 23 3.4 Look angles ........................................................... 23 3.5 Airtime contracts ...................................................... 24 3.6 Internet access ........................................................ 24 4. Directory of industry contacts ................................................. 25 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS WMO would like to acknowledge the work of the lead author, Dr Mike Prior-Jones, the present Chair of Satcom Forum, and the contributions of the other members of the Satcom Executive Committee, especially Johan Stander, Sean Burns and Andy Sybrandy. Considerable thanks are also due to David Thomas, from the WMO Secretariat, for coordinating the work and producing the Web version. 1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1.1 Introduction This is the first edition of the Satellite Data Telecommunication Handbook. This handbook is a guide to using satellite telecommunication systems and is provided as an attachment to the Guide to the WMO Information System (WMO-No. 1061). It is intended for scientists and managers who are considering using satellite communications to collect data from remote instrumentation located either on land or at sea. The handbook aims to provide an overview of the state of the market at the time of writing (April 2018) so that users can quickly identify which satellite services are appropriate for their needs. Since the market is evolving rapidly, an online version will be made available via the WMO website (https:// wiswiki .wmo .int/ Satcom -Guide) and kept up to date as new systems are introduced to the market and older ones are retired. This is the first publication from the joint WMO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) International Forum of Users of Satellite Data Communications, better known as the Satcom Forum. The Satcom Forum is a relatively new international body whose purpose is to provide clear information about satellite communications to scientific users and to liaise with the industry to advocate for appropriate new technical features and suitable pricing structures. For more details about the Satcom Forum, please see https:// wiswiki .wmo .int/ Satcom. The editorial approach has been to work exclusively with publicly available information, including marketing brochures, manuals and other published documents. The handbook only considers systems that were in operation at the time of writing; several satellite networks had new services in development while this handbook was being drafted, but as these services were not yet functioning, their final specifications were unknown. The online version includes clearly marked sections contributed by the satellite operators which provide more details about their product offerings. 1.2 Why satellite communication? Satellite communication is now more than sixty years old. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik I on 4 October 1957, and the first communications satellite was launched by the United States the following year. Since then, satellite communication has become firmly established as one of three basic techniques for long-distance telecommunications, alongside cables and terrestrial wireless networks. The key benefit of satellite communication is its independence from ground-based infrastructure. This is particularly valuable in hazardous and isolated regions (such as oceans, deserts and the polar regions) and in places where conflict or natural disasters have destroyed the terrestrial infrastructure. For those in need of reliable emergency communications, satellite communications can literally save lives. For scientific users, particularly meteorologists, hydrologists and marine scientists, satellite communication offers a convenient way to collect real-time data from instruments in the field. Marine science was an early adopter of remote instrumentation, with satellite services making it possible to immediately and reliably collect data from the open oceans. Satellite communication is also used to track marine creatures and larger birds. 1.3 Connectivity options for remote instruments There are various connectivity options for equipment installed in remote locations: (a) Physical retrieval: The instrument stores the data locally (for example, on a memory card, USB stick or local hard drive), and the operator visits the instrument periodically to retrieve the data. The operator may have to wait months or years for the data, but there is no ongoing cost apart from the site visits. This option is often used if a regular visit needs to be made to do maintenance work on the instrument. SATELLITE DATA TELECOMMUNICATION HANDBOOK 9 (b) Cable/wireline/landline: A wired connection is typically a copper or fibre-optic cable, such as a phone line. These connections generally offer the highest data rates and can be reliable provided that the infrastructure is not disrupted. However, cables can be cut by construction work or damaged by high winds or storms. Power failures at the telephone exchange or router