An integrated HAP-satellite communications system for DVB-RCS service provisioning

Multi-layered networks exploiting HAP and satellite segments are becoming a very attractive solution to deploy global telecommunication infrastructures. In fact, they can help in offering users ubiquitous access to multimedia information in an efficient and cost-effective way. In this paper a multi-layered infrastructure is presented aiming at efficiently allocating bandwidth among different user typologies. Two different scenarios are considered for DVB-RCS service delivery. A one-layer system, with the satellite coverage stratum only, and a two-layer one, with an integrated HAP-satellite coverage layer. A simulation campaign is conducted in order to assess the performance of both scenarios and to compare their performance. This study is, therefore, intended as a research contribution to the understanding of the actual usefulness of introducing a HAP stratum into terrestrial-satellite hybrid wireless systems