BSP and ISP: the internet and synchronous TDMA DSB network: new applications based on the integration of communication and broadcasting (衛星通信)

A new business method called Broadcast Service Provider (BSP) is proposed. The BSP is significantly different from the conventional Broadcasters in the following points. The Broadcasters own both the broadcasting systems and the broadcast contents. The BSP providers own only the broadcast systems which they provide for the general public for broadcasting services. Thus the function of the BSP is very similar to that of ISP (Internet Service Provider) in the Internet. The separation of the provision of the broadcast system and the contents was introduced at the advent of the satellite broadcasting around the turn of the centuries. In Japanese CS broadcast system, for example, the contents providers and the broadcast system providers are separated. At present about 200 TV and audio broadcasting channels are provided through CS transponders provided by JSAT. The BSP proposed herein extends the ranges of the contents providers from hundreds to millions as it provides the broadcasting services for the general public. Typical broadcast type applications include direct nationwide advertisement by local industries, public relations (PR) announcements by local governments, NPO and other organizations. The BSP and ISP can combine their systems to provide the Internet with full multicast or broadcast capability for their Internet users or two-way interactive nationwide broadcast network for their broadcast subscribers. This is a true integration of the Internet and nationwide broadcasting network and can provide effective conference type services to the general public. Conventionally users of the satellite teleconferences have been limited to big companies or governments with many branch offices over wide areas. For the Internet users the web conference is quite useful but the number and location of participants is very limited. The combined BSP and ISP can provide the nationwide teleconferences to the general public regardless of the locations and numbers of the participants. The synchronous TDMA DSB network plays an important role for the creation of BSP industry. Up until today the wide area broadcasting has been limited to a small number of service providers in most countries. In some countries the broadcasting are under strict control of the governments. This highly centralized structure of broadcasting is apparently unsuitable for the highly distributed and independent nature of the BSP. The synchronous TDMA enables direct transmission of DSB signals from multiple sites anywhere and reception of the signals with conventional DSB receivers everywhere under the coverage of the satellites. Thus it is very effective to realize the distributed structure of the broadcasters all over the countries. Those local broadcasters may grow to be BSP by providing the nationwide DSB network for the local industries, governments and the general public. Keyword DSB; Direct Satellite Broadcasting, BSP; Broadcast Service Provider, ISP; Internet Service Provider, TDMA; Time Division Multiple Access, VSAT ;Very Small Aperture Terminal, WAN; Wide Area Network, LAN; Local Area Network, CS; Communication Satellite