Most people do not need to use a satellite to connect to the internet; they connect through wi-fi that is readily available in most urban places.  If you are in a remote location, however, you may need to connect to the internet, and Satellite Communications may be your only option.  These kinds of remote connections are becoming increasingly important as continuous reliable internet connectivity becomes critical for many operations.

A collection of physical devices each of which contain sensors and software, each of which are connected to the internet, and can communicate with each other via the internet, to provide some service with wide area coverage, is referred to as in Internet of Things ( IOT.)  IOTs are becoming increasingly powerful and important.  Some examples of IOTs are connected appliances, smart home security systems, autonomous farm equipment, and wireless inventory trackers.  Each of these examples rely on the fact that each physical device in the IOT is continuously reliably connected to the internet.

Sometimes, devices which comprise an IOT are in a remote area, and cannot be connected to wi-fi networks often taken for granted.  For example, autonomous farm equipment is typically operating on large farms which are outside of the range of wi-fi.  Wireless inventory trackers are often on merchant ships traveling between ports in ocean areas that do not have wi-fi connectivity.  In these cases, it is critical that the devices be able to connect to the internet using satellite communications.

So, many practicing engineers need to be familiar with Satellite Communications.

ATI offers a course called Satellite Communications Design and Engineering.   This three-day course is designed as a practical course for practicing engineers, and is intended for communications engineers, spacecraft engineers, managers and technical professionals who want both the “big picture” and a fundamental understanding of satellite communications. The course is technically oriented and includes examples from real-world satellite communications systems. It will enable participants to understand the key drivers in satellite link design and to perform their own satellite link budget calculations. The course will especially appeal to those whose objective is to develop quantitative computational skills in addition to obtaining a qualitative familiarity with the basic concepts.  You can learn more about this course, and register here.

And, as always, you can learn about the full set of courses offered by ATI at www.aticourses.com