| Abstract: | One of the most frequently debated issues in satellite communications concerns the comparison between time division multiple access (TDMA) and code division multiple access (CDMA) systems. Although, in our view, a general answer to this problem cannot be found, this paper presents comparisons of two systems utilizing the above-mentioned access techniques, both from a radio and a network point of view. In particular, the mobile satellite business network (MSBN), (a CDMA system currently being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for general satellite applications) and the full integrated extension to satellite systems of the global system for mobile communication (GSM) (the well-known frequency division multiplex (FDM)/TDMA pan-European mobile cellular system) are compared by taking, as the reference payload, the L-band land mobile (LLM) satellite (a spot-beam geostationary satellite whose launch should take place at the end of 1997). Reasonable assumptions take into account the fact that, on one hand, the MSBN system is not completely defined and, on the other, the GSM is applied in a context different from the one specified by the European Telecommunication Standard Institute (ETSI). Performance comparisons are carried out in terms of flexibility and number of available channels for the same quality requirements, emitted power levels, propagation environment and interference levels coming from adjacent satellites. It is concluded that MSBN is more flexible than GSM and that, as regards capacity, an advantage of GSM over MSBN is present in the transportable mobile case, whereas, in the vehicular mobile case, MSBN shows an advantage over GSM. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
