Flooding the Market: Comparing the Performance of Nine Broadband Megaconstellations | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore

Flooding the Market: Comparing the Performance of Nine Broadband Megaconstellations | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore

N. Pachler, E. F. Crawley and B. G. Cameron, "Flooding the Market: Comparing the Performance of Nine Broadband Megaconstellations," in IEEE Wireless Communications Letters, doi: 10.1109/LWC.2024.3416531.

Abstract: Satellite communications megaconstellations are revolutionizing Internet connectivity, serving millions of users worldwide. However, prior performance analyses are limited to Low Earth Orbit architectures and broad operational assumptions, not representative of the modern satellite environment. This study aims to breach this gap by analyzing all proposed communications constellations with more than 100 satellites using representative operational conditions and state-of-the-art resource allocation methodologies. The analysis underscores the pivotal role played by the number of satellites and link quality as key drivers of performance. Combining existing designs could serve up to 1.8 billion people at 2 Mbps.

keywords: {Satellites;Logic gates;Throughput;Resource management;Routing;Delays;Antennas;Satellite Communications;Resource Management;Megaconstellations;Routing;Frequency;Beam Steering},
URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10564148&isnumber=6065724

Summary

This paper compares the performance of nine satellite broadband megaconstellations under realistic operational conditions. 

Key points:

1. The study analyzes all proposed constellations with over 100 satellites using representative operational conditions and advanced resource allocation methods.

2. A framework is presented to simulate the complex resource allocation decisions needed to operate these systems.

3. Performance is evaluated in terms of throughput, latency, and required ground infrastructure for 500,000 users per constellation.

4. Key findings:
   - Number of satellites and link quality are the main drivers of performance
   - No constellation fully satisfies user demand, indicating bottlenecks in user links
   - LEO systems require fewer gateway antennas than previously estimated (around 1,000-2,000)
   - If all 9 systems were realized, they could serve up to 1.8 billion people at 2 Mbps

5. Individual constellation results are presented, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of each design.

6. The combined throughput of all systems (180 Tbps) would be equivalent to about 20% of current terrestrial internet traffic.

7. The study provides more realistic performance estimates compared to previous analyses that used simplified assumptions.

The paper concludes that satellite megaconstellations could play a significant role in global broadband access, but their performance is highly dependent on specific design choices and operational conditions.
 

Based on the information provided in the paper, created a table comparing the constellations, their throughput, and some indicators of link quality. The paper doesn't provide a direct "link quality" metric, but we can infer it from other data such as throughput per satellite and spectrum utilization. Here's the table:

Constellation	Number of Satellites	Total Throughput (Gbps)	Throughput per Satellite (Gbps/sat)	Spectrum Utilization (THz)
SES-O3b	112	4,500	40.2	1.1
Intelsat	216	7,900	36.6	3.4
ViaSat	288	7,200	25.0	2.1
Telesat	1,671	14,900	8.9	4.2
Amazon	3,236	16,400	5.1	3.9
SpaceX	4,408	21,800	5.0	6.5
Boeing	5,936	34,000	5.7	12.4
OneWeb	6,372	26,300	4.1	8.8
CASC	12,992	47,100	3.6	22.7
Total	22,239	133,000	6.0	42

Note:
1. Higher throughput per satellite generally indicates better link quality.
2. Spectrum utilization varies widely, with CASC using significantly more spectrum than others.
3. SES-O3b and Intelsat, despite having fewer satellites, achieve high throughput per satellite, suggesting good link quality.
4. ViaSat also shows high throughput per satellite, indicating efficient use of its resources.

This table provides a comparison of the constellations' performance, giving insights into their relative efficiencies and link qualities.