The very-small-aperture-terminal (VSAT) fixed satellite communication network is a star network in which many dispersed micro terminals attempt to send data in a packet form through a random access/time-division multiple-access (RA/TDMA) satellite channel with transmission delay. The basic concept of the VSAT and its service potential are discussed. Two classes of traffic are addressed, namely business-oriented low-rate-data traffic and bulk data traffic of corporate networks. Satellite access, throughput, and delay are considered. The size of the network population that can be served in an RA/TDMA environment is calculated. User protocols are examined. A typical VSAT business scenario is described.

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VSAT communications networks-an overview | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore