Telecommunications Satellite Communications 2

Question 1

What is a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal)?

Accepted Answer

A small ground-based antenna system for two-way satellite communications

Answer

VSAT is a compact ground-based satellite terminal using dish antennas typically under 3 meters in diameter, enabling two-way satellite data, voice, and video communications.

Question 2

Which multiple access technique allocates satellite bandwidth dynamically based on actual user demand rather than fixed pre-assigned slots?

Accepted Answer

DAMA (Demand Assigned Multiple Access)

Answer

DAMA assigns satellite capacity on demand in real time, improving efficiency by only allocating bandwidth when users actually need it rather than reserving fixed portions.

Question 3

SpaceX's Starlink broadband internet service uses which type of satellite constellation?

Accepted Answer

LEO (Low Earth Orbit)

Answer

Starlink operates a LEO constellation at approximately 550 km altitude, enabling low-latency broadband internet coverage with thousands of satellites.

Question 4

What is 'rain fade' in satellite communications?

Accepted Answer

Attenuation of satellite signals by precipitation in the atmosphere

Answer

Rain fade is the attenuation of satellite signals by rain, snow, or ice in the atmosphere, where water droplets absorb and scatter microwave energy, and it is most severe at Ku and Ka bands.

Question 5

The 'footprint' of a communications satellite refers to:

Accepted Answer

The geographic area on Earth that the satellite's signal can cover

Answer

A satellite's footprint is the geographic region on Earth's surface within range of the satellite's antenna beams where ground stations can send and receive signals.

Telecommunications Practice Test

Telecommunications Practice Test

Telecommunications Satellite Communications 2