Performance comparison between the MSBN and the GSM systems in a geo satellite environment

One of the most presently debated issues in satellite communications concerns the performance comparison between time division multiple access (TDMA) and code division multiple access (CDMA) systems. Although, in the authors´ view, a general answer to this problem can not be found, this paper presents performance comparisons of two systems utilizing the above-mentioned access techniques. In particular, the Mobile Satellite Business Network (MSBN), (a CDMA system currently being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) ad hoc for satellite applications) and the full integrated extension to satellite systems of the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) (the well-known pan-European mobile cellular system) are compared by taking as reference payload the European Mobile Satellite (EMS) (a geostationary satellite to be launched in the near future). The performance comparisons are carried out in terms of link feasibility and number of available channels for the same quality requirements and emitted power levels, in the same propagation environments and for the same interference levels coming from adjacent satellites