Video teleconference by satellite

It has been recognized that the 'video teleconference' represents an extremely promising application of satellites. Studies concerning such an application have been conducted by the European Space Agency (ESA), taking into account the use of two of the four payloads of the European Large Telecommunication Satellite (L-SAT) for this application. Optimal use of these facilities demands an understanding of the basic principles concerning the structure of meetings. The characteristics of two types of meeting are investigated, giving attention to the round-table meeting in which each member has an equal voice, and the forum meeting in which one person has the floor at any specific time. The structure of teleconference meetings is also considered along with the geometry of the teleconference studio, the topology of the teleconference system, and aspects concerning the deployment of the teleconference studios.