System design, capacity dimensioning and revenue estimation for aeronautical communications via satellite

The paper discusses various system aspects of commercial aeronautical broadband satellite communications (AirCom). An integrated global system design approach is presented, and key R&D issues along this path are discussed. Some focus is laid on geographic satellite coverage and constellation alternatives. A capacity dimensioning method for global aeronautical communications is developed, using a global flight database, and numerical results from computer simulations are presented. Finally, we estimate the revenues that airlines can expect from passenger telephone and Internet services offered on North Atlantic flights, under the assumption of an existing wireless cabin infrastructure, supporting wireless Internet and GSM telephony.