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.

This authoritative book provides a thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts of satellite communications (SATCOM) network design and performance assessments. You find discussions on a wide class of SATCOM networks using satellites as core components, as well as coverage key applications in the field. This in-depth resource presents a broad range of critical topics, from geosynchronous Earth orbiting (GEO) satellites and direct broadcast satellite systems, to low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites, radio standards and protocols.This invaluable reference explains the many specific uses of satellite networks, including small-terminal wireless and mobile communications systems. Moreover, this book presents advanced topics such as satellite RF link analyses, optimum transponder loading, on-board processing, antenna characteristics, protected systems, information assurance, and spread spectrums. You are introduced to current and future SATCOM systems and find details on their performance supportabilities. This cutting-edge book also presents trends in multimedia satellite applications and IP services over satellites.

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.