What are the pros and cons of employing satellite communication for multicasting? Explain.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The pros of employing satellite communication for multicasting are:
(a) Providing uniform accessibility is easy via satellite, because the signals sent via the satellite may be received by any receiver within the coverage area of the satellite (known as the satellite “footprint”). Typically, this allows the same signal to be received across a whole continent, if transmitted by satellites covering the whole surface of the earth.
(b) A satellite solution also minimizes the number of multicast-capable routers required in the core network, which will simplify initial deployment and operations/maintenance.
(c) No bottlenecks from low speed connections and no waiting for busy servers.
The cons are:
(a) Difficulties in providing the multicast service across a wide geographical area.
(b) Difficulties in upgrading existing deployed network routers.
(c) The frequency bands normally used for satellite data services have become very congested and there is not sufficient capacity for a major new service. To achieve wide area coverage will require a new generation of satellites operating in the Extra High Frequency band.
(d) High power operation too costly.