Higher capacity satellites for efficient utilization of the geostationary orbit

It is noted that increasing demand for satelite transponders in the USA can be met only be making a more efficient use of the geostationary orbit. Specifically, it is suggested that the orbital spacing of the domestic communication satellites servicing North America should be reduced, that more use should be made of the Ku-band for fixed-satellite services, and that satellite capacity per orbital slot should be optimized to provide maximum effective use of the available frequency spectrum. The growth in transponder demand within the Intelsat system is compared to the corresponding growth in the USA, and the techniques already in use by Intelsat (frequency reuse, multiple frequencies, and transponder cross-strapping) are seen as applicable to the next generation of US satellites.