International Internetworks -- AULP Project Proposal

The African Universities Library Project

Technical Background

Data broadcasting has become the newest darling of every traditional broadcaster. Those with radio, TV, and satellite broadcasting capacity are madly implementing the latest technologies that make more efficient use of the existing spectrum by interleaving data with their traditional signals -- doubling their income stream overnight. While terrestrial TV and radio systems serve metropolitan areas and those media houses with national reach can serve whole regions if not nations, satellites serve both urban and rural areas of whole continents.

Here are some links to articles and papers highlighting some of the concepts and applications of data broadcasting...

Good background information in layman's lingo can be found in these articles:

Is Satellite in Your Future?
By Joanie Wexler
Network World Wireless Newsletter

Satellites and Data Broadcasting: A Perfect Match
by Katie McConnell, senior editor
Via Satellite magazine, June 1999

Two examples of such technology being used today in the commercial sector are:

Chain gives VSAT net an IP overhaul
Shoppers Drug Mart jazzes up a mature technology that's critical to its 800 outlets.
By Denise Pappalardo
Network World, 01/08/01

Telesat, Ford Sign North American Broadband Deal
Space Daily
Ottawa - Oct 2, 2001

Companies providing commercial services include:

Loral Cyberstar Launches Secure IP Via Satellite
ClearStream OverNet, a secure, high-speed, IP delivery network that allows large files, video and multimedia applications, software updates and database replications to bypass WAN congestion using CyberStar’s satellite multicast capabilities.

Cidera, Inc.
is using satellites to broadcast Internet material to proxy servers to cut down on the bandwidth required to get streaming media and other bandwidth-hogging material out to the "edge" of the network. They currently service North America and Europe, with plans to open service in Latin America and Asia by the end of 2000.

They have produced a white paper on the topic: "Everything to the Edge" which amply illustrates their technology. http://www.cidera.com/customercare/collateral/cidera_edge.pdf

Internet Skyway
uses satellite to broadcast USENET feeds to networks in Europe and North Africa

SkyStream Networks

Orblynx

PanAmSat

Williams Communications

New Forum to Promote IP Datacasting Activities
European industry giants form a consortia to promote their datacasting activities over multiple mediums.

More academic and technical resources...

Direct Broadcast Satellite Technology
A paper by Dr. Randy H. Katz of the University of California, Berkeley describing data broadcasting and its role in the development of the Bay Area Research Wireless Access Network. More of his group's papers in this topic area...

Adding Intelligence to Satellite-Based Internet Links: Architecture of a Second-Generation Satellite-Based Internet Delivery System
Anup Mathur and Marc Abrams presented this paper, which highlights the technical underpinnings of this concept, to the 1999 ISOC conference.