Evolution in Last Mile Satellite Broadband Access Systems Driven by Market Demands
William Hreha, Kathy Shockey · 2010
The introduction of IPTV and the availability of video content online are dramatically changing broadband data demand. Today the average daily broadband consumer data consumption is approximately 32 kbps. This demand is forecasted to quintuple over the next five years due primarily to the integration of IPTV into the broadband service bundle and the consumer’s evolving video-watching behavior. Recent data indicates that 86% of broadband users watch video content on line at least once a month. Data also shows a shift from scheduled content viewing to time shifted or on-demand video watching. Integration of broadband services has enabled value-added capabilities such as transferring video content between networked devices, social networking while viewing video online, and caller id displayed on a video image. Since the terrestrial approach integrates various services and distributes the higher bandwidth per subscriber over a single transport mechanism (ADSL or cable), consumers of satellite broadband services expect to receive similarly bundled services and capabilities through their home satellite service. What matters is the consumer’s multimedia experience and the economics involved, not the transport mechanism. This paper reviews the key metrics that should be used to compare terrestrial and satellite broadband services with this consumer perspective in mind. It also suggests potential satellite architectures that can provide a broadband experience comparable to the terrestrial services.