In this thesis, two LEO satellite systems with different multiple access schemes are analyzed. The first system, GLOBALSTAR, uses CDMA. Equations are developed to calculate the maximum capacity of one satellite, of one satellite's user beam, and of the entire GLOBALSTAR system over CONUS. A detailed description of GLOBALSTAR's outage probability, the probability that a call will be dropped from the system or blocked from connection with the system, is given and graphed against varying average call time and varying call arrival rate. The second system, IRIDIUM, uses TDMA/FDMA. Equations are similarly developed to calculate the maximum capacity of one satellite, of one satellite's user beam, and of the entire IRIDIUM system over CONUS. The probability of success or failure of an IRIDIUM subscriber obtaining a system channel is given by the Erlang Loss Formula and graphed against varying average call time and varying call arrival rate. Results show GLOBALSTAR provides five times the service capacity of IRIDIUM over CONUS and provides a better probability of obtaining a system channel for a call than will IRIDIUM.

Although low earth orbital (LEO) satellites are the most promising candidates for establishing personal communication networks (PCNs) on a global basis, their usage is also problematic. This new book provides the first comprehensive analysis of one of the hottest topics in communication systems today -- the application of LEO satellites in PCNs.

Gain the knowledge needed to execute end-to-end performance analysis over satellite links and networks, evaluate throughput and capacity over satellite systems, and understand IP/ATM over SATCOM issues and limitations with this in-depth, practical resource. The book examines current and future land mobile satellite (LMS) communication systems, and the techniques necessary to support reliable and efficient communication.

The unrelenting growth of wireless communications continues to raise new research and development problems that require unprecedented interactions among communication engineers. In particular, specialists in transmission and specialists in networks must often cross each other's boundaries. This is especially true for CDMA, an access technique that is being widely accepted as a system solution for next-generation mobile cellular systems, but it extends to other system aspects as well. Major challenges lie ahead, from the design of physical and radio access to network architecture, resource management, mobility management, and capacity and performance aspects. Several of these aspects are addressed in this volume, the fourth in the edited series on Multiaccess, Mobility and Teletraffic for Wireless Communications. It contains papers selected from MMT'99, the fifth Workshop held on these topics in October 1999 in Venezia, Italy. The focus of this workshop series is on identifying, presenting, and discussing the theoretical and implementation issues critical to the design of wireless communication networks. More specifically, these issues are examined from the viewpoint of the impact each one of them can have on the others. Specific emphasis is given to the evolutionary trends of universal wireless access and software radio. Performance improvements achieved by spectrally efficient codes and smart antennas in experimental GSM testbeds are presented. Several contributions address critical issues regarding multimedia services for Third-Generation Mobile Radio Networks ranging from high rate data transmission with CDMA technology to resource allocation for integrated Voice/WWW traffic.