THE TELEDESIC SATELLITE SYSTEM: OVERVIEW AND DESIGN TRADES Mark A. Sturza Teledesic Corporation 2300 Carillon Point Kirkland, Washington 98033 (818) 907-1302 fax (818) 907-1357 ABSTRACT There is a significant worldwide demand for broadband communications capacity. Teledesic plans to meet this demand using a constellation of 924 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites operating in Ka-band (30/20 GHz). The Teledesic network will provide “fiber- like” service quality, including low transmission delay, high data rates, and low bit error rates, to almost 100% of the world’s population starting in 2001. I. INTRODUCTION Teledesic was founded in June 1990. Its principle shareholders are Craig McCaw, founder of McCaw Cellular Communications, the world’s largest wireless communications company, and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, the world’s largest computer software company. “Teledesic seeks to organize a broad, cooperative effort to bring affordable access to advanced information services to rural and remote parts of the world that would not be economic to serve thorough traditional wireline means.” [1] The economics of wireline access are such that rural and remote areas may never get wireline access to broadband networks. As advanced information services become increasingly essential to economic development, education, health care, and public services, the gap between urban and rural areas will widen. The solution is a satellite-based broadband network whose service cost in rural, remote areas is comparable to that of wireline networks in advanced urban areas. Such a network can provide a variety of services including multimedia conferencing, video conferencing, videotelephony, distance learning, and voice. It will allow people to live and work in areas based on family, community, and quality of life. The global scope of the Teledesic network embraces a wide range of service needs. Local partners will determine products and prices and provide sales and service in host countries. Teledesic will not market service directly to users. Rather, it will provide an open network for service provides in host countries. Teledesic will not manufacture satellites or terminals. Its goal is to provide the highest quality communications services at the lowest cost. Wireline broadband (fiber) networks in advanced urban areas will drive demand for global access to broadband applications. Advanced information services are increasingly essential to education, health care, government, and economic development. Continued decrease in the price/performance ratio of microprocessors and computer memory will increase the demand for transmission of information. Video and high-resolution graphics require high data rates. Most of the worlds population will never get access to advanced digital applications through terrestrial means. The majority of the world does not even have access to basic voice service. Most areas that are not now wired never will be wired. Increasingly, wireless cellular will be the access technology of first choice in rural and remote areas. Cellular is limited to narrowband applications and most existing wireline networks will not support advanced digital applications. Teledesic will provide seamless compatibility with terrestrial broadband (fiber) networks. Future broadband applications and data protocols will not be designed to accommodate the delays of geostationary satellites. Users will want one network for all applications. 1