Broadband satellite multimedia networks

Nowadays there is an increasing need of broadband communication anytime, anywhere for users that expect to receive multimedia services with support of quality of service. In such a scenario, the aim of this chapter is to present the possibility of the satellite option that is particular attracting to bridge the digital divide in those areas where terrestrial solutions are unfeasible or too expensive. This chapter provides first a survey of the ETSI standardization framework for satellite networks. Then, resource management schemes for both forward and return link are described. Finally a suitable case study is provided for the integration of a DVB-S/DVB-RCS satellite system interconnected with a WiFi segment for local coverage; examples and results permit to understand different resource management implications.