Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Lepkowski, Ronald J..
The Geostar (Trademark) system began its initial operations in 1988 and was the first domestic satellite system to provide regular service to mobile users within the United States. Here, an overview is given of Geostar's radiodetermination satellite system (RDSS) concept and its development by Geostar, with a focus on the current operational status of Geostar's interim RDSS system and services.
The regulatory process for licensing mobile satellite systems is complex and can require many years to complete. This process involves frequency allocations, national licensing, and frequency coordination. The regulatory process that resulted in the establishment of the radiodetermination satellite service (RDSS) between 1983 and 1987 is described. In contrast, each of these steps in the licensing of the mobile satellite service (MSS) is taking a significantly longer period of time to complete.
Geostar is currently constructing a radiodetermination satellite system to provide position fixes and vehicle surveillance services, and has proposed a digital land mobile satellite service to provide data, facsimile and digitized voice services to low cost mobile users. The different system architectures for these two systems, are reviewed.