Satellite Communications Networks and Applications

Satellite Communications Networks and Applications: Creating Next-Generation Systems in Commercial and Government Environments, To Be Announced, UCLA in Westwood, CA. This course provides an intensive state-of-the-art review of satellite communications networks and applications from system and service perspectives. Intended for technical, operations, and business professionals, as well as newcomers to satellite technology, the course details the fundamentals, architecture, and development of modern satellite networks, with emphasis on cutting-edge broadcast, interactive, and mobile applications. Topics include satellite and ground station principles, digital image and full-motion video for broadcast distribution using the MPEG 2 and 4, DVB-S and S2 standards, and IP Video; Internet Protocol (IP)-based data performance optimization over satellite; Ku- and Ka-band Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) applied to fixed networks as well as those having location flexibility; L- and S-band; mobile satellite services and propagation (GEO and non-GEO); mobile broadcasting using Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) systems; and advanced broadband capabilities of Ka-band satellite systems currently in use and under development. Emphasis is placed on the proper selection of requirements, technologies, and their providers (space and ground), and on the most effective ways to architect and operate the associated satellite networks.

Organized and led by satellite industry expert and consultant Bruce Elbert, president of Application Technology Strategy, Inc., the course provides fundamentals as well as a detailed review of current applications and implementations, and a unique approach to the selection and development of advanced satellite networks for use in commercial and government environments. Optimization of IP data transfer over satellite and the design of state-of-the-art direct-to-home broadcast networks are covered by DC Palter and Stephen Dulac, themselves noted innovators in these fields. The course is appropriate for engineers and managers new to the field as well as experienced professionals wishing to update and round out their understanding of current systems and solutions.

UCLA Extension has presented this highly successful short course since 1997. It is continuously updated to reflect industry state of the art and innovations in network and application development.

Course Materials
The text, The Satellite Communication Applications Handbook, Second Edition, Bruce Elbert (Artech House, 2004), and a complete set of updated lecture notes are distributed on the first day of the course. The notes are for participants only and are not for sale

Course description