Future of Communications

Communications satellites have played a key role in the technological, regulatory and economic change experienced by the telecommunications industry in the last two decades. The great advancement in satellite communications started in the 1963-1964 when three Syncom satellites were the world’s first to be positioned 22,300 miles above the equator in geosynchronous orbit. This was also the start of the trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific telecommunications using stationary satellite dishes. By 1980’s there were regional satellite systems such as Eutelsat (Europe), Arabsat (Middle East) and Palpa (South-East Asia).

“The rapid development of the satellite communications technology has led to the demands for parking spaces and transmission frequencies. The global allocation of parking spaces and frequencies is accomplished through the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the government regulatory agencies in the ITU member countries.” Although satellites have made national and international communications cheaper, but their limitations include transmission delay, antenna size, security, frequency crowding, and meteorological interference. The less developed countries in particular are facing problems and need equitable solutions to problems such as the parking slots for satellites on the Clarke Belt. There surely needs to be political and economic cooperation at the international level to realize the full potential of this vital sector.

Satellite communications have made the flow of information much faster, easy and economical. This has benefited the developed and developing world. Satellites have also benefited other communication services. Paging, cellular phones and teleconferencing have become the basis of the information age.

Following is an informative video outlining the future of communication based on satellites, broadband and mobile phones. I am particularly interested in how development trends in communications would impact development especially related to education and information sharing.

Without doubt, the art of effective communication takes a center stage in our personal and civilization’s wider success. It is the ability to communicate which defines us as human since time immemorial. Communications whose medium has continuously transformed over the ages, has taken better and improved shapes. Yet In the age of digital revolution characterized by rapid change, what remains constant is the need to communicate effectively between individuals and organizations at a global level. Communications infrastructure plays a basic role in enabling knowledge sharing especially video and its increasing use requiring efficient broadband facilities.

Future of Satellites, Broadband, Communications and Mobile Phones