Computer Networks - I — Question 15

Some advantages of satellites are:

1. The area coverage is quite large.
2. The laying and maintenance of intercontinental cable is difficult and expensive and this is where the satellite proves to be the best alterative.
3. The heavy usage of intercontinental traffic makes the satellite commercially attractive.
4. Satellites can cover large areas of the Earth. This is particularly useful for sparsely populated areas.

Some disadvantages of satellites are:

1. Technological limitations preventing the deployment of large, high gain antennas on the satellite platform.
2. Over-crowding of available bandwidths due to low antenna gains.
3. The high investment cost and insurance cost associated with significant probability of failure.
4. High atmospheric losses above 30 GHz limit carrier frequencies.