Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcast (SDMB) will provide a direct link to third generation mobile phones (3G) and beyond. This strongly enhances these systems by providing rich multimedia such as mobile TV or videos. SDMB can be integrated into 3G handsets at a very low cost making it ideal for the mass-market. Interaction with 3G architecture is smooth as it meets standardised Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) requirements in terms of service, the standard used to optimise terrestrial UMTS.
Indoor reception
Satellite technology is what makes SDMB possible. High-power geostationary satellites have the ability to blanket wide areas with coverage and reach a huge amount of users. The satellite system that SDMB will employ consists of a hybrid of satellites and terrestrial repeaters. The former ensure global coverage and the latter make it possible to penetrate inside buildings, often a hindrance to technologies that want to use satellite. The study is supported by ESA and is led by Alcatel Alenia Space of France. Two other companies Ascom from Switzerland and AWE Communications from Germany are sub-contractors. Key to making SDMB possible was the development of two tools for simulations. These tools would ensure that information could be gathered on radio performance for any kinds of SDMB radio architecture under various conditions. The first tool was a radio layer transmission simulation developed by Alcatel Space and ASCOM. This was the first step in building a radio simulator; something that was developed in a parallel study called MAESTRO. The second tool was built by AWE Communications, together with Alcatel Space, they carried out work in upgrading the SDMB radio network planning tool to make it easier to integrate with 3GPP RAN equipment, making indoor simulations possible. The study included identifying two payload configurations for SDMB. A flexible configuration for different linguistic areas. And a static configuration for two linguistic areas. The study team stated that both payload configurations would be suited to the AlphaSat/AlphaBus platform being developed by ESA. Juan Riviera Castro, ESA Technical Officer for the SDMB study stated, "It's clear that new advances in satellite technologies are reducing former limitations to satellite communications, as this study demonstrates. The ability to reach mobile users indoors with multimedia will certainly open new markets for European industry." To read more on SDMB click under related links at the top-right of this page.
Satellite technology is what makes SDMB possible. High-power geostationary satellites have the ability to blanket wide areas with coverage and reach a huge amount of users. The satellite system that SDMB will employ consists of a hybrid of satellites and terrestrial repeaters. The former ensure global coverage and the latter make it possible to penetrate inside buildings, often a hindrance to technologies that want to use satellite. The study is supported by ESA and is led by Alcatel Alenia Space of France. Two other companies Ascom from Switzerland and AWE Communications from Germany are sub-contractors. Key to making SDMB possible was the development of two tools for simulations. These tools would ensure that information could be gathered on radio performance for any kinds of SDMB radio architecture under various conditions. The first tool was a radio layer transmission simulation developed by Alcatel Space and ASCOM. This was the first step in building a radio simulator; something that was developed in a parallel study called MAESTRO. The second tool was built by AWE Communications, together with Alcatel Space, they carried out work in upgrading the SDMB radio network planning tool to make it easier to integrate with 3GPP RAN equipment, making indoor simulations possible. The study included identifying two payload configurations for SDMB. A flexible configuration for different linguistic areas. And a static configuration for two linguistic areas. The study team stated that both payload configurations would be suited to the AlphaSat/AlphaBus platform being developed by ESA. Juan Riviera Castro, ESA Technical Officer for the SDMB study stated, "It's clear that new advances in satellite technologies are reducing former limitations to satellite communications, as this study demonstrates. The ability to reach mobile users indoors with multimedia will certainly open new markets for European industry." To read more on SDMB click under related links at the top-right of this page.
image ESA
