| This article may be considered science fiction, just | | | | 3 Satellite Capacity and Coverage |
| like Arthur C. Clark once had a scientific vision | | | | This will always be the bottle neck of satellites; |
| about 3 satellites orbiting the earth in | | | | how much data can they relay and how small an |
| geostationary orbits to make global | | | | area can they cover. A satellite has multiple dishes |
| communications possible. Everything in this article | | | | and each dish can cover a part of the earth; small |
| is merely a scientific vision and an extrapolation of | | | | parts like just one state or big parts like the |
| current technologies into the future. | | | | whole continental United States. |
| What would be the future of Satellite TV? That | | | | In the future satellites will be able to relay much |
| may seem to be a difficult question, but | | | | more data, and cover much smaller areas. |
| extrapolating what we know about the past into | | | | Especially the smaller coverage areas will be |
| the future and some educated guesses, we may | | | | important. Having full capacity available for just a |
| very well end up with a reasonable picture of | | | | small area means higher bandwidth available for a |
| what the future of satellite TV looks like. The | | | | small amount of people. Especially in urban areas it |
| future of satellite TV will be guided by these | | | | will be great to have a satellite cover just one |
| properties: | | | | neighborhood. |
| 1. Receive and Transmit | | | | 4 Antenna Size |
| 2. Equipment Size and Costs | | | | This is a very important issue. Small antennas of |
| 3. Satellite Capacity and Coverage | | | | 18 inches already exist, but these can receive |
| 4. Antenna Size | | | | only. The opening angle of an antenna like this is |
| 5. New Technologies | | | | too big to get enough signal power to reach the |
| 1 Receive and Transmit | | | | satellite. In the future however, antennas will get |
| What would be possible if you could not only | | | | better and eventually small antennas can be used |
| receive, but also transmit? And in the same | | | | to transmit to the satellite. |
| bandwidth as you receive? That would change the | | | | 5 New Technologies |
| whole world. It is possible now to use the satellite | | | | This will be the really interesting part. New |
| for Internet purposes, but in a very simple and | | | | technologies may open up possibilities that are |
| inefficient way. You receive via satellite, but | | | | never heard of before. |
| transmit via phone. Upload capacity is completely | | | | Imagine watching a movie in 3D, you sitting on |
| limited by the dial up connection. | | | | your couch but watching a show as if you are in |
| The idea of being able to transmit to a satellite | | | | the audience when the TV show was recorded. |
| from your home is new and will probably one day | | | | You're not really having a TV at home anymore, |
| be reality. At the moment companies can use | | | | but a 3D entertainment room. (for those of you |
| satellites to connect offices all over the country | | | | who like StarTrek, a not so strange idea). Normal |
| via satellite. Bandwidth is limited, or very | | | | Satellite TV will still be available of course. |
| expensive. Another problem for home use is the | | | | In the future Satellite TV will open up so many |
| size of the satellite dish. At least 4 foot for small | | | | possibilities that it is hard to imagine what our lives |
| bandwidth and up to 10 feet or even more for | | | | will be like in 30, or even just 20 years from now. |
| higher bandwidths. In point 3 this bandwidth issue | | | | To give an idea of how fast things are going. 50 |
| is explained in more detail. | | | | years ago, there was nothing in space that was |
| 2 Equipment Size and Costs | | | | made by humans. Now there are even satellite |
| Your satellite equipment at home may seem | | | | graveyards (specific orbits where obsolete |
| small, but it is small because all it has to do is | | | | satellites are "parked"). The possibilities of satellite |
| receive. Transmitting requires different equipment. | | | | TV technology are growing faster every year. |
| Not so much in the house, but on the roof at the | | | | What took 10 years to develop 30 years ago is |
| antenna there is need for a relative big | | | | now done in 2 years. |
| transmitter. Also these are still pretty expensive | | | | Satellite TV is one of the driving forces for |
| and for domestic use just not affordable. | | | | satellite technologies because the need to please |
| In the future this will change. Equipment will get | | | | million of subscribers is much stronger than the |
| smaller, and cheaper. Eventually when satellites are | | | | need to please the relative limited needs of |
| able to relay much more data than now (see | | | | communications for commercial purposes. |
| point 3), having 10.000.000 transmitters on the | | | | The future of satellite TV is so bright, that a |
| ground won't be a problem. | | | | supernova would pale in comparison! |