System design constraints for a Ka-band satellite personal communications system

The Ka-band is often cited as the next frequency band for commercial exploitation due to the large bandwidth available. However, the combination of using Ka-band frequencies, and the provision of a mobile type of service, results in link and system constraints that are not met at lower frequencies. The system constellation is defined by the required system availability and the link budget is dictated by the EIRP of the personal terminal. Assumptions have been made on the required channel rate for voice services, in order to generate a basic system model, and these will be further investigated