Optimal Beamwidth and Altitude for Maximal Uplink Coverage in Satellite Networks

Dense satellite constellations recently emerged as a prominent solution to complementing terrestrial networks in attaining true global coverage. As such, analytic optimization techniques can be adopted to rapidly maximize the benefits of such satellite networks. This letter presents a framework that relies on two primary tuning parameters to optimize the uplink performance; (i) the constellation altitude and (ii) the satellite antenna beamwidth. The framework leverages tools from stochastic geometry to derive analytical models that formulate a parametric uplink coverage problem which also includes user traffic demand as an input. This allows operators to devise uplink expansion strategies to cater for expanding user demand. The framework demonstrates that fine-tuning of these parameters can significantly enhance the network capacity. We show that the optimization of random constellations provides a close match to that of practical satellite constellations such as Walker-delta and Walker-star.

Automated summary

This research presents a framework for optimizing the uplink performance of dense satellite constellations using optimization techniques. The framework includes two key parameters: constellation altitude and satellite antenna beamwidth. By applying stochastic geometry tools, analytical models are derived to solve the uplink coverage problem considering user traffic demand. The results show that fine-tuning these parameters can significantly enhance network capacity.