Satelliitkanalite

Satelliitkanalite, in Estonian usage referring to satellite channels, are television and radio channels that are broadcast via communications satellites and received by end users with satellite dishes and receivers. These channels are distributed through satellites that orbit the Earth, most commonly in geostationary orbit, where a satellite appears fixed relative to the surface and can cover large geographical areas with one or more beams or footprints.

The technical framework involves an uplink link from a ground station to the satellite, a transponder on the satellite that receives, amplifies, and retransmits the signal, and a downlink link back to receivers on the ground. The most common frequency bands for satellite television are the C-band and Ku-band, with Ka-band increasingly used for high-throughput services. Signals are typically encoded and modulated using standards such as DVB-S or DVB-S2, and may be encrypted with conditional access systems for pay-TV. A single satellite can carry numerous channels across multiple transponders, while different beams provide regional coverage to different footprints.

Reception requires a small dish, a Low-Noise Block downconverter (LNB), and a satellite receiver or set-top box. Channel availability can be free-to-air or protected by subscription. Satellite channels offer wide coverage, especially in regions with limited terrestrial infrastructure, but are subject to weather-related reception issues and require line-of-sight to the satellite.

In contemporary broadcasting, trends include higher data rates via high-throughput satellites, advanced modulation schemes, and ongoing regulation of spectrum use and orbital slots to manage interference and ensure service continuity.