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Understanding Modern Spectrum Management
The key engineering, legal and policy issues
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Glossary
GSO
Objects in the GSO, or Geosynchronous Orbit, maintain an orbital speed that matches the earth’s rotation, meaning they hold a consistent position. Geosynchronous Orbit is 36,000 kilometres above the Earth’s surface. Geostationary Orbit (GEO) meanwhile is a type of GSO that specifically lies on the same plane as Earth’s equator.
GSO satellites offer wide coverage. As few as three geostationary satellites can provide close to global coverage. GSO satellites sit in a higher orbit than either low-earth orbitNGSO, or non-geostationary satellite orbit... or medium-earth orbit satellitesMEO, or medium-earth orbit satellites are ... (see separate Glossary entries).
GSO satellites offer high capacity and reliability but their altitude ensures greater latency than LEO or MEO satellites. Historically, these satellites have carried broadcast television and telecommunications traffic. Increasingly, they are now being incorporated into multi-orbit strategies with either/or MEO and LEO satellites serving markets such as maritime and aeronautical users.
GSO satellites operate in a number of bands including the Ku-band (12-18 GHz), Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz), C-band (4-6 GHz), L-band (1.5-1.6 GHz), S-band (2-4 GHz) and X-band (8-12 GHz).