1. Introduction to SATCOM access

The uses of satellite telecommunication systems have evolved from broadcast systems [E 6 160] to systems exploiting TCP/IP protocols to provide Internet access [E 7 560][H 3 560] . As a result of improvements in on-board satellite technology, available on-board throughput has risen from 70 Gbps in 2010 with the Ka-SAT satellite to 500 Gbps with the Konnect VHTS satellite due for launch in 2022. This increase in throughput means major challenges...