Mobile satellite broadcasting with angle diversity - performance evaluation based on measurements

This paper focuses on the achievable angle diversity gain in mobile satellite broadcasting in various environments. Multiple satellite signals within the S-band were recorded simultaneously along the east coast of the U.S. over a traveling distance of 3700 km. The first-order statistical data analysis shows that the required C/N margin for a certain service availability can be significantly decreased by combining two satellite signals. Depending on their elevation angles, the diversity combining gain is analyzed in terms of cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) for various environments. The results for angle diversity are compared to time diversity using an interleaver of variable length. Combining angle diversity and time interleaving results in a further improvement of the service availability.