Abstract: A method for automatic detection of antenna site conditions, ASC, at an antenna site, AS, of an antenna, A, the method comprising the steps of providing (S1) signal source observations, SSO, derived from signals received by the antenna, A, from at least one signal source, SS, and transforming (S2) the signal source observations, SSO, into images fed to a trained image-processing artificial intelligence, AI, model which calculates antenna site conditions, ASC, at an antenna site, AS, of the respective antenna, A.

Abstract: Hierarchical network operation and resource control system and method for a mega satellite constellation, belonging to the field of spatial information technology, are provided. The hierarchical network operation and resource control system includes a service layer, a global organization layer, a local coordination layer and a resource layer. The service layer is used as an input to drive operation of whole system. The global organization layer is to realize “operation, measurement and control” integrated control and decision of whole network. The local coordination layer is to realize local management decision and management slice generation. The resource layer is to provide physical resource and physical device and realize resource virtualization.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting predetermined events occurring during delivery of an ordered product to a delivery address is provided. Upon receipt of a customer order, delivery of the ordered product is assigned to a delivery driver/vehicle which includes a stand-alone communication device disposed in the delivery vehicle. As the delivery trip begins, various position and acceleration information is collected by the communication device, processed to determine whether a predetermined driving event has occurred, and stored. This information is transmitted periodically to a processing system for eventual communication to a home location store associated with the delivery order. Additional processing of the delivery trip data may occur to enable a review of the delivery trip and any detected events along the delivery path.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for providing dynamic spatial allocation of satellite capacity based on aircraft load forecasting. In embodiments, a satellite communications system provides network access service over a service area via a plurality of satellite user beams, predicts spatial network resource demand for the service area over one or more service periods based at least in part on forecasted travel paths of a plurality of mobile multi-user terminals over the one or more service periods and respective predicted service demands for the plurality of mobile multi-user terminals, determines a satellite capacity resource configuration for the plurality of satellite user beams for the one or more service periods based on the predicted spatial network resource demand, and then adapts at least one characteristic of the plurality of satellite user beams for the one or more service.

Abstract: A work supporting apparatus includes: a visible light camera (visible light image photographing unit) configured to photograph a visible light image; a far-infrared camera (thermal image photographing unit) configured to photograph a thermal image; a work progress status determining unit configured to determine a work progress status from the visible light image photographed by the visible light camera and the thermal image photographed by the far-infrared camera; and a display configured to display a determination result of the work progress status.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for receiving from a network, at a user equipment, Doppler shift information associated with at least one cell of the network as a function of time for at least one area and using the Doppler shift information at the user equipment to compensate for the Doppler shift in communication with the network when the user equipment is in the at least one area.

Abstract: An antenna system having an antenna array including at least first and second phased array antennas, and a method for field-calibrating the antenna array. Before and after a handover period, communication with respective first and second external satellites or other communication systems is performed using both the first and second antennas. A first beam is formed prior to the handover period. During a first portion of the handover period: a second beam is formed for the communication with the first satellite using the first antenna; the second antenna is deactivated for external communication; and the second antenna is calibrated. During a second portion of the handover period, the second antenna is reactivated for a handed over communication with the second satellite by forming a third beam using the second antenna, while the first antenna maintains its communication with the first satellite via the second beam.

Abstract: A method for operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network is provided. The wireless communications network comprises a base station and a non-terrestrial network part, the non-terrestrial network part transmitting one or more spot beams to provide a wireless access interface for transmitting signals to and receiving signals representing data from a communications device within a coverage region of a cell or one of the spot beams, the spot beam forming a cell. The method comprises transmitting, to the communications device, an indication of a first condition to be met before the communications device should transmit assistance information to the infrastructure equipment, receiving the assistance information from the communications device upon the first condition being met, determining, based on the assistance information, that a cell change of the communications device should be initiated, and initiating the cell change of the communications device.

Abstract: An amplifier arrangement has a plurality of function strings, which are required for nominal operation. In addition, the amplifier arrangement has a redundancy circuit and a redundant function string including a redundant converter and a redundant amplifier. If a function string is faulty, the redundancy circuit supplies the input signals of the faulty function string to the redundant function string. In addition, a high-frequency system with an inner housing and an outer housing is described, wherein an air gap separates the inner housing and the outer housing from one another so that high-frequency signals can be transmitted via the air gap between the inner housing and the outer housing.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system and a method for digital radio interference mitigation. The system includes a first interface configured to receive a first digital signal associated with a satellite ground station; a second interface configured to receive a second digital signal associated with and acquired at a radio network transceiver; and a signal processing unit connected to the first and second interfaces and configured to mitigate a radio interference associated with the second digital signal in the first digital signal. This may improve a reception of satellite ground stations, especially upon coexistence with 5G cellular services in the C-band frequency spectrum.

Abstract: A satellite constellation forming system forms a satellite constellation (20) having N orbital planes (21) (N being a natural number) with mutually different normal directions. A satellite constellation forming unit forms the satellite constellation (20) in which each orbital plane (21) of the N orbital planes is an elliptical orbit with the same eccentricity and the same major axis. In the satellite constellation (20), an elevation angle of a major axis of each orbital plane (21) of the N orbital planes has a relative angle of 360/N degrees with respect to each other. In the satellite constellation (20), an azimuth direction of each orbital plane (21) of the N orbital planes has a relative angle of 180/N degrees with respect to each other.

Abstract: Systems and methods operating a spotbeam satellite network. One example embodiment provides a satellite broadcast system. The system includes an electronic processor communicatively coupled to a satellite, and a user equipment. The electronic processor receives a plurality of bearer signals, each bearing identical broadcast or multicast program information. For each of the plurality of bearer signals, the electronic processor generates one of a plurality of spotbeams for transmission by the satellite within a coverage area. The electronic processor introduces into the bearer signal of each spotbeam of the plurality of spotbeams a differential delay with respect to the bearer signals of each of the other spotbeams of the plurality of spotbeams The user equipment is receives the bearer signals from a plurality of adjacent spotbeams of the plurality of spotbeams. The user equipment constructively utilizes the bearer signals received from the plurality of adjacent spotbeams to decode the program information.

Abstract: The present technology relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a program enabling images to be checked in real time. A display control device includes: a receiving unit that receives small volume data that is information on current imaging by an artificial satellite; and a control unit that displays a live view image based on the small volume data on a display unit, wherein the receiving unit receives a satellite image corresponding to the live view image as large volume data at a timing different from that of the small volume data. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a satellite image processing system that processes satellite images captured by artificial satellites.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for communicating in a satellite communication framework with spatial diversity are described. In one embodiment, a method for controlling communication in a satellite communication network having multiple constellations and a satellite terminal with a single electronically steered flat-panel antenna capable of generating a plurality of beams for communication links with multiple satellites, comprises: determining, under network control, availability of a plurality of networks by which network traffic may be exchanged with the single electronically steered flat-panel antenna; and managing, under network control, two or more satellite links between the single electronically steered flat-panel antenna and two or more satellites of different networks to route the network traffic, including determining when to use each of the two or more satellite links, the two or more satellite links being generated using two or more beams from the single electronically steered flat-panel antenna.

Abstract: Systems and methods for aligning timing of an inroute transmission of a terminal with a gateway are disclosed. A system may include a processor and a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to perform a random estimation of location pertaining to a time-division multiple access (TDMA) frame boundary of a gateway. Based on an asynchronous scrambled coded multiple access (ASCMA) technique, the system may transmit ASCMA group burst packets including precise timing feedback request for the gateway. The system may receive a feedback from the gateway, in response to the precise timing feedback request. The processor may determine an adjustment for aligning timing of an inroute transmission of the terminal with respect to the TDMA frame boundary of the gateway. The system may apply the adjustment to synchronize the timing of the inroute transmission of the terminal with the gateway.

Abstract: A multi-layer headgear system may comprise one or more of a head-mounted display adapter plate, a headgear frame, a sensor-engagement assembly, and/or other components. A first side of the head-mounted display adapter plate may be configured to be attached to a head-mounted display. A second side of the head-mounted display adapter plate may be configured to be attached to a first side of the headgear frame. A first side of the sensor-engagement assembly may be configured to be attached to a second side of the headgear frame. The sensor-engagement assembly may be configured to position one or more sensors with respect to a face.

Abstract: A communication system for communication between one or more terminal units includes: a communication manager that is configured to define and manage one or more adjustable communication links for efficient bandwidth utilization, wherein the one or more communication links are adjustable by the communication manager adjusting the bandwidth of each of the one or more communication links, the frequency bands utilized by each of the one or more communication links, and the latency for each of the one or more communication links.

Abstract: A method for an infrastructure equipment of a wireless communications network, the method comprising receiving a request to establish a connection from a communications device in a first cell; and in response to receiving the request, selecting a second cell to be a next serving cell for the communications device and transmitting an indication of an identity of the second cell to the communications device.

Abstract: A system and method for providing terminals with permitted power spectral density (PSD) limits for regions of a coverage area including: dividing a coverage area into regions, each region having a boundary; assigning a PSD limit to each region; receiving a location of a transmitting entity; determining a transmitting entity region from the regions based on the location; and transmitting with a respective PSD limit of the transmitting entity region.

Abstract: Systems, methods and techniques are presented for discovering optimal solutions to satisfy communication traffic demands to a NGSO and GSO satellite constellations used for telecommunication. When multiple ground demands (mobile and stationary) are present, a satellite constellation requires an assignment of satellite resources to optimally match the ground demands. The systems, methods and techniques presented can utilize an optimization structure to maximize the objective function, using linear programming in combination with simulation and predictive features. The techniques presented determine optimal or quasi-optimal allocation of scarce and highly constrained satellite resources in an efficient manner. These techniques take into account maximizing capacity while protecting other geostationary and non-geostationary networks.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to systems and methods for determining round trip time and layer 2 (e.g., data link) buffer size in non terrestrial networks. In one embodiment, a method performed by a communication node includes: sending a capability request message to a communication device, wherein the communication node communicates from a satellite in orbit; receiving capability information from the communication device in response to the capability request message; and determining a data link buffer size associated with communications between the communication node and the communication device based on the capability information.

Abstract: Embodiments provide high-throughput, hub-and-spoke satellite communications with geographically non-overlapping user beams and full frequency reuse. For example, a coverage area of a satellite is segmented into multiple candidate coverage zones, and an associated consumption demand is determined for each candidate coverage zone. Fixed spot beams are assigned to a subset of the candidate coverage zones according to highest associated consumption demands, such that each fixed spot beam corresponds to at least one candidate coverage zone to service an associated beam coverage area that is geographically non-overlapping with beam coverage areas of all other fixed spot beams, and each fixed spot beam is allocated full use of a same spectrum. One or more steerable beams selectively cover lower consumption demand zones.

Abstract: A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium are described in which a cellular device-satellite communications service is provided. The service may provide establishment, maintenance, and termination of uplink and downlink connections via a satellite network, a terrestrial network, and both based on network information and satellite information. The service may also provide scheduling for user plane traffic via the uplink and downlink connections.

Abstract: The present technology relates to an intelligent road infrastructure system and, more particularly, to systems and methods for a heterogeneous connected automated vehicle highway (CAVH) network in which the road network has various RSU and TCU/TCC coverages and functionalities. The heterogeneous CAVH network facilitates control and operations for vehicles of various automation level and other road users by implementing various levels of coordinated control among CAVH system entities and providing individual road users with detailed customized information and time-sensitive control instructions, and operations and maintenance services.

Abstract: It is detected of an interference between feeder links of communication relay apparatus, which tends to occur when the number of movable aerial-floating type communication relay apparatus increases in a same area. Plural feeder-link model elements are generated with respect to the plural communication relay apparatuses, wherein each of which a feeder-link receiving point corresponding to a position of the communication relay apparatus, a feeder-link transmitting point corresponding to a position of a gateway station, and a line segment connecting the feeder-link receiving point and the feeder-link transmitting point to each other in a three-dimensional space model. An occurrence of interference between feeder links is determined based on distances between the line segment and the feeder-link receiving point among feeder-link model elements different from each other on the three-dimensional space model.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for providing network access services to mobile users via mobile terminals over a satellite system. In embodiments, dynamic multiplexing of traffic from fixed terminals and mobile users on the same satellite beam can take advantage of statistical multiplexing of large numbers of users and on different usage patterns between fixed terminals and mobile users. In embodiments, quality-of-service (QoS) is controlled for mobile devices at a per-user level. Mobile users may be provisioned on the satellite system according to a set of traffic policies based on their service level agreement (SLA). System resources of the satellite may be allocated to mobile users based on the demand of each mobile user and the set of traffic polices associated with each mobile user, regardless of which mobile terminal is used to access the system.

Abstract: A system for network agnostic satellite communications includes an antenna configured to receive at least one antenna receive beam including multiple receive carriers multiplexed in at least one of frequency or time. The system further includes a signal processor configured to receive the multiple receive carriers and to extract data from at least one receive carrier of the multiple receive carriers. The system further includes an input device configured to receive at least one desirable communication parameter. The system further includes a control processor designed to determine actual parameters corresponding to the multiple receive carriers of the at least one antenna receive beam. The control processor is further designed to select an optimal receive carrier by comparing the at least one desirable communication parameter to the actual parameters. The control processor is further designed to establish a current communication link with the optimal receive carrier.

Abstract: A transmitting apparatus is provided. The transmitting apparatus includes: an encoder configured to generate a low-density parity check (LDPC) codeword by LDPC encoding of input bits based on a parity check matrix including information word bits and parity bits, the LDPC codeword including a plurality of bit groups each including a plurality of bits; an interleaver configured to interleave the LDPC codeword; and a modulator configured to map the interleaved LDPC codeword onto a modulation symbol, wherein the interleaver is further configured to interleave the LDPC codeword such that a bit included in a predetermined bit group from among the plurality of bit groups constituting the LDPC codeword onto a predetermined bit of the modulation symbol.

Abstract: A method for data radio bearer management, the method including: transmitting a data radio bearer (DRB) setup request message to a wireless communication node; receiving a DRB setup response message from the wireless communication node, determining at least one DRB and at least one Quality of Service (QoS) flow mapped to the at least one DRB supported by the wireless communication node; and configuring the wireless communication node to support the at least one DRB and the at least one QoS flow.

Abstract: A satellite visibility assignment device (1) includes a visibility unit setter (21), a visibility unit selector (22), and an optimization calculator (23). The visibility unit setter (21) sets visibility units each including a combination of a satellite and a station to communicate with the satellite, a lower limit of a visibility start time, and an upper limit of a visibility end time. The optimization calculator (23) determines whether the visibility start time and the visibility end time are settable for each of the one or more combinations of the visibility units within a range satisfying a set constraint and calculates the visibility start time and the visibility end time through an optimization calculation. The visibility unit selector (22) selects, from the combinations of the visibility units, a combination of the visibility units to be used based on determination of the optimization calculator (23).

Abstract: An external frontend device is described. The external frontend device includes an integrated synthesizer circuit, a reference signal input, a receiver channel, a transmitter channel, and at least one mixer circuit. The reference signal input is configured to receive a low-frequency reference signal. The reference signal input is configured to forward the received low-frequency reference signal to the integrated synthesizer circuit. The integrated synthesizer circuit is configured to generate a local oscillator (LO) signal based on the low-frequency reference signal. The at least one mixer circuit is associated with the receiver channel and/or with the transmitter channel. The at least one mixer circuit is configured to mix the LO signal with a radio frequency (RF) signal processed by the receiver channel and/or with an intermediate frequency (IF) signal processed by the transmitter channel, thereby obtaining an IF output signal and/or an RF output signal, respectively.

Abstract: This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system. The method includes: determining first information, where the first information includes one or more types of information about an associated beam for a random access success of the terminal device, or, information about an associated uplink carrier for a random access success of the terminal device, and/or includes information about a random access channel RACH resource for a random access failure of the terminal device, and the random access failure of the terminal device includes one or more of a 2-step random access failure, a 4-step random access failure, a dedicated RACH resource random access failure, or a common RACH resource random access failure; and sending the first information.

Abstract: A management apparatus in a time synchronization system includes a time variation information receiving unit configured to acquire time variation information and position information of a time synchronization apparatus, a position information classifying unit configured to classify time synchronization apparatuses into predetermined categories based on the acquired position information, a time variation analysis configured to determine majority based on whether patterns of time variation of the time synchronization apparatuses belonging to an identical category are identical to each other, and to analyze the time variation based on the determined results, and a filtering and delivery unit configured to output an instruction to block the time information received from the positioning satellite, to the time synchronization apparatus having abnormal time variation.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media may be operable to facilitate client device band steering based upon deep packet inspection information. An access point may be configured to steer one or more client devices from a low frequency band to a high frequency band, and vice versa, based on the status of the low frequency band and/or high frequency band and the client devices associated with the bands. The access point may perform a deep packet inspection of data packet traffic associated with each associated client device, and may classify each client device as either a device associated with a media session or a device that is not associated with a media session based upon information retrieved from the deep packet inspection. The access point may choose one or more client devices to disassociate from a frequency band based upon the media session classification of the client devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a satellite communications system comprising a satellite with a spatial digital modulator for transmitting an incoming bit stream in multiple beams, wherein the spatial digital modulator is configured to generate transmit symbols by dividing the incoming bit stream into symbols of a symbol alphabet and to allocate each transmit symbol to a specific beam. The invention further relates to a method for transmitting a bit stream by such a satellite communications system.

Abstract: Disclosed in the present application are a locating method for an uplink time difference of arrival, and an apparatus thereof.

Abstract: An interference evaluation method for evaluating, over an area, radio-wave interference that occurs between a first radio station and a second radio station includes: a distinguishing step of acquiring information indicating topographic cross-sections of respective azimuths centered about the first radio station, and distinguishing the topographic cross-section into a segment in which there is visibility from the position of the first radio station and a segment in which there is no visibility from the position of the first radio station; and a specification step of specifying a position at which a desired interference amount is reached based on a distance between the first radio station and the second radio station in a segment distinguished as having visibility from the position of the first radio station, and specifying a position at which the desired interference amount is reached by evaluating the radio-wave interference for each square of an evaluation target region segmented into squares in a segment d

Abstract: There is provided a satellite network for data communication, the network comprising a plurality of satellites arranged in medium Earth orbit (MEO) in a plurality of orbital planes such that a plurality of satellites are provided in each orbital plane, each satellite being operable to communicate with at least one terrestrial user terminal and comprising at least one communications antenna operable to generate a spot beam on a predetermined selected terrestrial region to enable said one or more terrestrial user terminals to receive and/or send data via the spot beam. The plurality of satellites is arranged such that the spot beams of at least two satellites are operable to cover the same terrestrial region at any one time.

Abstract: A method and system for using low earth orbit satellites to overcome latency is presented. In one embodiment, the method may include establishing a data session using a first channel having a first characteristic different than a second characteristic of a second channel, wherein the first channel is a Low Earth Orit (LEO) channel and wherein the second channel is a Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO) channel; determining a type of traffic involved in the data session; determining whether the second channel should be used for the data session; when the second channel should be used for the data session, then switching the data session from the first channel to the second channel; and periodically monitoring the data session to determine whether the second channel should continue to be used for the data session.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, an electronic device comprises: a housing; a touchscreen display viewed through a part of the housing; at least one communication module located inside the housing; a processor located inside the housing and operationally connected to the display and the at least one communication module; and a memory located inside the housing and operationally connected to the processor, wherein the memory is provided to store a location measurement map, and can store instructions allowing, when executed, the processor to check the location of the electronic device by using the communication module, determine a block corresponding to the location of the electronic device on the location measurement map on the basis of at least a portion of the checked location of the electronic device, determine the location measurement method on the basis of at least a portion of priority information about a position source for the determined block and position source information about the electronic devic

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and systems for phase-based determination of a distance and/or a frequency offset between a first node and a second node in a wireless network.

Abstract: A data communications apparatus is disclosed for providing a data communications network. The apparatus includes a portable carrying case. A power supply is securable inside the case. A router device is securable inside the case, the router device including at least one cellular gateway for wide area network communication and configured to enable at least one wireless network for local area network communication. An antenna array is in electrical communication with the router device, the antenna array including at least a first pair of cellular antennas, at least two wireless networking antennas, and a satellite antenna. The first pair of cellular antennas are configured to support multiple input multiple output applications for the at least one cellular gateway, and the at least two wireless networking antennas are configured to support multiple input multiple output applications for the at least one wireless network.

Abstract: A satellite constellation forming system forms a satellite constellation (20) having a plurality of orbital planes (21) in each of which a plurality of satellites fly at the same orbital altitude. A satellite constellation forming unit forms the satellite constellation (20) in which orbital altitudes of the orbital planes (21) are mutually different. Furthermore, in the satellite constellation (20), relative altitude differences between adjacent orbital planes in the plurality of orbital planes are sequentially arranged to be sinusoidal. The satellite constellation forming unit sequentially changes an orbital altitude (23) of each orbital plane of the plurality of orbital planes while maintaining a sinusoidal arrangement of the relative altitude differences between adjacent orbital planes in the plurality of orbital planes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for connecting devices via a virtual global network are disclosed. In one embodiment the network system may comprise a first device in communication with a first endpoint device and a second device in communication with a second endpoint device. The first and second devices may be connected with a communication path. The communication path may comprise one or more intermediate tunnels connecting each endpoint device to one or more intermediate access point servers and one or more control servers.

Abstract: A multiple-access transceiver handles communications with mobile stations in environments that exceed mobile station design assumptions without necessarily requiring modifications to the mobile stations. One such environment is in Earth orbit. The multiple-access transceiver is adapted to close communications with mobile stations while exceeding mobile station design assumptions, such as greater distance, greater relative motion and/or other conditions commonly found where functionality of a terrestrial transceiver is to be performed by an orbital transceiver.

Abstract: A base-band (kHz to MHz range) very low frequency active impedance tuner allows controlling the reflection factor at a multitude of frequencies in the base-band for systematic evaluation of the effect of bias networks on nonlinear quantities of a RF transistor, like EVM and ACPR. It comprises an electronically controlled active heterodyne feedback loop, frequency mixing, filtering and a remotely controlled digital electronic tuner. The digital electronic tuning feedback module operates at standard octave band GHz range, which allows controlling impedances over several decades in the base-band frequency range.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems for coordinated satellite and terrestrial channel utilization, are disclosed. One wireless system includes one or more controllers. For an embodiment, the one or more controllers are operative to (or configured to) determine one or more communication delays for each base station of a plurality of base stations based upon a maximum propagation delay between each base station and one or more of a plurality of hubs, generate a channel sharing map that includes a timing of communication between each base station and the one or more of the plurality of hubs, wherein each of the plurality of base stations operates to time wireless communication with the plurality of hubs based on the channel sharing map, and the one or more communication delays of the base station.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods of monitoring a region by a transmitting device within a wireless medium for transmissions using at least one directional beam covering the region. Upon determining that the region in the wireless medium is free of transmissions, the transmitting device transmits to a plurality of wireless devices in the region using a plurality of spatially separated directional beams. Other aspects of the disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for receiving an instruction, e.g., at a user equipment (UE), to perform a channel assessment at a first time. The UE monitors a region within a wireless medium for transmissions after receiving the instruction. Upon determining that the region is free of transmissions, the UE may send an acknowledgment of the received instruction.

Abstract: A satellite communication system in which a plurality of satellites each transit about the Earth in a common mid-Earth orbit. The orbit may be configured such that each satellite of the plurality of satellites follows a common, repeating ground track relative to the surface of the Earth. In turn, one or more repeating sky tracks may be defined relative to at least one ground station such that the ground station is in continuous communication with at least one of the plurality of satellites. In an example, a ground station may have visibility to a plurality of repeating sky tracks such that a plurality of discreet communication channels is provided that use different satellites for communication with user terminals of the satellite communications system.