Advanced satellite technologies for air traffic management

This paper presents the current limitations and possible future upgrades of satellite communication systems to satisfy the requirements of air traffic management using compact and low cost aeronautical terminals

Turbo-code division multiple access: capacity enhancement of mobile satellite systems using narrowband multiuser detection

This paper presents a new type of multiple access for fixed and mobile satellite communication systems aiming at improving the bandwidth efficiency of highly reliable links suited for air traffic management and other safety services, using compact and low cost terminals. The purpose of this work is to incorporate highly redundant turbo coding technology in the air interface and present a novel receiver architecture using narrowband multiuser detection to enhance the performance of the reservation access and random access signaling

Signal processing techniques for aeronautical communications via satellite

Aeronautical communications are playing an important role in the air traffic control as well as new passenger communication services. Due to the global coverage required, satellite transponders provide the required links which are traditionally limited to narrowband throughputs (e.g. 64 kb/s) due to the propagation channel characteristics. This paper analyses the reasons that limit the throughput of the aeronautical satellite links and presents advanced signal processing techniques that allow satellite transceivers to break the narrowband barriers

Bandwidth Efficient Techniques for Helicopter Links via Satellite

Helicopter radio links via satellite are limited in performance when the antenna is located below the main rotor. The fuselage may obstruct the line-of-sight signal and the rotating blades not only periodically block it but also generate reflections which cause periodic ripples in the signal complex envelope. This paper presents receive diversity and transmit space time coding with up to three antennas combined with variable high order modulation and coding techniques in order to overcome these problems allowing unprecedented bandwidth efficiencies in helicopter links for existing and future satellite systems. As a satellite system example, the Inmarsat enhanced Broadband Global Access Network (BGAN) is considered operating over the Alphasat satellite to be launched in 2013 over the European airspace by Inmarsat and ESA. With the proposed techniques and radio upgrades, bandwidth efficiency approaching 5 b/s/Hz may be achievable to/from helicopters and at the same time the reliability of the link and service area increases

An efficient method for data exchange using network coding and narrowband multiuser detection

The proposed technique applies to full duplex mobile-to-mobile pair wise communication via a common centralized node such as a base station or satellite. In the uplink, a multiuser receiver is employed using Turbo Code Division Multiple Access (TCDMA) optimized for two narrowband bursts generated by the two users. In the downlink, a single burst using network coding is addressed to both users. Applying the proposed technique to mobile-to-mobile applications, the radio resources are used very efficiently since the network capacity is almost doubled and the radio resource management is simplified so that message delivery time is halved

BGAN radio interface enhancements for SatCom-on-the-Move

Inmarsat's BGAN mobile satellite system has provided global connectivity since 2005 to the land mobile, maritime and aeronautical communities via the Inmarsat-4 satellites. The planned Alphasat satellite aims to provide additional capacity and resilience to the satellite constellation and will also offer improved performance. To prepare for this the BGAN system design has been enhanced with several new features to take advantage of the new satellite capabilities and accommodate new terminals and service requirements. This paper focuses at the BGAN radio interface enhancements for support of both smaller terminals and for operation at higher data rates and presents the critical enablers for improving the bandwidth and power efficiencies