As part of a new mobile communication network covering North and South America, Comsat Labs was funded by Boeing to develop a ground-based beam forming (GBBF) system beginning in February, 2006. The GBBF system is a massive signal processor that is designed to coordinate and process up to 500 beams at once.

The system will complement new Boeing satellites for LightSquared  (formerly SkyTerra, Mobile Satellite Ventures). The development includes GBBF processors, calibration earth stations, and the control and management subsystem for three L-band satellite networks.

The LightSquared network is designed to deliver advanced voice and data services via a seamless, satellite/terrestrial hybrid architecture into devices that are virtually identical to today’s cell phone handsets in terms of aesthetics, cost, function, and mobility.

Optimized Frequency Sharing Between Satellite and Terrestrial Cellular
The Comsat Labs GBBF system creates hundreds of small, flexible, adaptive “spot” beams on the earth that allow mobile handsets to communicate directly with the satellite with smaller antennas, higher speeds, and better performance than ever before.  While the beams are projected to the earth by the satellite, the ground system performs the beam-shaping signal processing.

GBBF technology brings three major benefits to satellite systems:

• Faster and lower cost satellite deployment because the processing is on the ground, rather than part of the satellite bus
• Ability to coordinate frequency use and remove interference for mass numbers of subscribers
• Refocusing of satellite capacity to the areas of greatest need.

Getting Satellite Capacity to Where the Action Is
Another possible application is for military communications. Affordable and fast re-direction of beams could provide service to new locations as troops move.  And, if hackers jam or otherwise interrupt satellite service, satellite operators can null out the beam under attack, while services continue for other areas through other spot beams.

  UPDATE - Feb 15, 2011

Boeing has successfully completed its work on integrating the LightSquared satellite communications with the ground segment to form the first integrated wireless broadband and satellite network. The satellite, among the most powerful commercial satellites ever built, and its state-of-the-art ground based beam-forming system, will provide ubiquitous nationwide coverage and enable integrated satellite-terrestrial service using products that are similar to today’s typical mobile devices in terms of size, capabilities and build costs. Launched on November 14, 2010, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, SkyTerra 1 has a 22-meter L-band antenna and will relay high-data rate radio frequency signals to and from four LightSquared terrestrial gateways located in the United States and Canada.