Essential Guide to Telecommunications, The, Third Edition

Satellites

Geosynchronous satellites orbit 22,300 miles above the earth's surface. Because they are so high in the sky, the area to which each satellite is capable of beaming signals is large. This is analogous to a flashlight beam. Holding a flashlight higher in the air extends the amount of area the light illuminates. Lowering the flashlight lessens the amount of area the light covers.

Because they are so high from the earth, geosynchronous satellites introduce a few-seconds delay on voice and data transmissions. Consider voice telephone calls placed in locations where fiber optic cabling is not in place. People who placed calls to international locations in the 1970s and 1980s often experienced clipping and delay. If two people on a telephone ...