Domestic satellite services for rural areas

It is pointed out that rural areas can be served by a domestic satellite communications system in an efficient and economical manner. To accomplish such efficiency and economy, the engineering parameters of the satellite communications system must be analyzed and selected with a view toward achieving the desired performance at minimum total cost. The equipment for an entire rural satellite communication system serving 1200 communities can be acquired for approximately $200 million (1983 dollars). An identical system, however, could also be implemented at much lower capital costs by leasing space segment capacity from existing satellite systems (Briskman and Savage, 1983).