A satellite is basically any object that revolves around a planet in a

circular or elliptical path. The moon is Earth's original, natural

satellite, and there are many artificial satellites as well, usually

closer to Earth. Although anything that is in orbit around Earth is

technically a satellite, the term "satellite" is typically used to

describe a useful object placed in orbit purposely to perform some

specific mission or task. We commonly hear about weather satellites,

communication satellites and scientific satellites.

There is a variety of satellite services, and it is wise to know the

meaning of each satellite service:

Satellite Downlink Service – as a satellite is an object floating up

in space, the transmission needs to be sent down to earth the process

is called Downlink. The transmission is sent down to a ground station

or receiver which receives the transmission and processes it.

Satellite Uplink Service – the uplink service is similar to the

satellite downlink service, but as it sounds the transmission goes

upward from the ground station to the satellite.

There are three kinds of frequency bands used for uplink & downlink

satellite services, C band, Ku band and Ka band. The most popular

frequency is C band.

Satellite uplink service and satellite downlink service are acquired

mainly by television stations and telecommunication companies.

Satellite turnaround service – usually the transmission isn't a direct

one and it needs to be directed to the next destination. As the

transmission travels in straight lines it needs to be turns around.

Hence, the satellite turnaround service. There are 2 kinds of

satellite turnaround service, permanent satellite turnaround service

and occasional use satellite turnaround service. Satellite turnaround

services are used mainly by television stations broadcasting globally.

Satellite SNG Service – SNG stands for Satellite News Gathering. SNG

units are mobile broadcasting units which are used by TV stations for

broadcasting from the field it is used for live events, news events,

sports and entertainment, etc.

Satellite Engineering Service – satellites are technical, and there is

a need for professional technical staff to take care of the dishes,

stations and all the other units. The satellite engineers take care of

all the technical aspects.

Satellite monitoring service - imagine huge control rooms filled with

screens, each screen showing a different feed, a different channel, a

different event. That is satellite monitoring service which allows

anyone to follow any event or occurrence around the world.

Satellite Transmission Delay service – each country has its own time

zone; there are countries with a few time zones. The satellite

transmission delay service delays the transmission in order to suit it

to the correct time zone of the target.

Each company should choose the package of satellite services which

suits its needs. Some satellite companies add film and TV production

services to complete a full package.