Role of satellites in mobile-wireless systems

It has long been a conjecture as to whether satellites have a role in mobile communications other than for niche areas such as sea and aero coverage. This paper attempts to answer this question by looking at the history of mobile satellite communications systems and the current developments towards multimedia, broadband, content and integrated systems. It projects into what is called the B3G era to show how satellites can play a useful role in cooperation with terrestrial systems.