The trade-off for digitization

Developments in the communications satellite industry related to the introduction of digital techniques are considered. In making a decision concerning the selection of a specific technique from a large variety of available digital and analog techniques, it is necessary to examine a number of details concerning the characteristics of the techniques and the services which are to be provided, because almost every technique will be most cost effective for some set of conditions. Attention is given to high speed Time Division Multiplex (TDM) digital transmission and Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems for data transmission via satellite, aspects of analog vs digital in connection with video transmission via satellite, systems for voice communication via satellite, and digital techniques.