Improvement of Ka-band satellite link availability for real-time IP-based video contribution

Real time video transmission of several simultaneous events to be managed through a web platform requires a bandwidth availability and a degree of flexibility that only the new generation of High Throughput Satellites (HTS) is able to satisfy. HTS typically use Ka band, which suffers from well known problems in terms of propagation, while the management of all the simultaneous data streams through an IP based platform implies several constraints.This paper addresses the system requirements and the identified solutions for the transmission of IP-based video flows through HTS VSAT commercial services operating at Ka-band frequencies. In particular, the focus of the paper is on the service requirements and the propagation analysis, fostered by the use of low cost COTS VSAT terminals and antennas, which drives the system architecture. This leads to the introduction of a new concept of live service contribution through a farm of small antennas and cheap satellite terminals.