Science and Technology
In News: India will be the first country to auction spectrum for satellite communication (SatCom).
- TRAI is working on a model for the auction of space spectrum – to encourage and promote investment in the sector
- Working on seeking permissions for satellite communication from various Ministries — Information and Broadcasting, Space and Telecom –to seamlessly enhance ease of doing business in the sector.
The Way Forward
- Should be designed to attract investments in the sector
- TRAI to come up with a consultation paper on the spectrum auction as per the standard process meant for satellite communication.
Note: While telecom operators have proposed allocation of spectrum through an auction for satellite communication, satellite industry players have opposed it.
What is a Communications Satellite?
- It is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth.
- Communications satellites are used for television, telephone, radio, internet, and military applications.
- The GSAT (Geostationary Satellite) satellites are India’s indigenously developed communications satellites, used for digital audio, data and video broadcasting.
Working of a Communication satellite
- A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunications signals through a transponder. It basically creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on earth.
- Communications satellites are used for television, telephone, radio, internet, and military applications. There are currently 2,134 communications satellites in the earth’s orbit and these comprise both private and government organizations. Several are in geostationary orbit 22,236 miles (35,785 km) above the equator, so that the satellite appears stationary at the same point in the sky.
- The orbital period of these satellites is the same as the rotation rate of the Earth, which in turn allows the satellite dish antennas of ground stations to be aimed permanently at that spot; they do not have to move along and track it.
- Since the high frequency radio waves used for telecommunications links travel by line of sight, they get obstructed by the curve of the earth. What these communications satellites do is they relay the signal around the curve of the earth thus making possible communication between widely removed geographical points.
- Communications satellites use a wide range of radio and microwave frequencies. To avoid signal interference, international organizations have regulations stating which frequency ranges (or bands) certain organizations are permitted to use. This allocation of bands reduces the chances of signal interference.
Source: The Hindu
