Low cost VSAT mesh network with time-spread ALOHA access

Simulation results are presented which demonstrate the feasibility of using time-spread ALOHA access to configure a fully connected VSAT (very-small-aperture terminal) mesh network. It is shown that savings in power can be achieved for networks operated at a backed-off throughput if packets are time-spread. An infinite-population mesh network was simulated to assess channel occupancy at different throughputs. The results of the simulation indicated that, at generally useful throughput values, channel occupancy on spread ALOHA is such that the time-spreading advantage for power reduction is still available after collision resolution. Since the network can operate with reduced EIRP or smaller dish per terminal, the costs go down. In addition, spread ALOHA, as compared to spread spectrum, uses a single spreading sequence for time spreading by all the terminals in the network. This feature of spread ALOHA can greatly reduce the complexity of the terminals in the network, bringing about further cost reductions by economies of scale in production and subsequent maintenance