Engineering Commons^™

The Possible Use Of Telemedicine In Developing Countries, R. Wootton

Online Journal of Space Communication

Since the place of telemedicine in the industrialized world is by no means properly worked out yet, it might seem premature to consider its use in developing countries. Nonetheless, there is interest in the possible use of telemedicine in developing countries, from at least two organizations:

1. The Midjan group, an impromptu committee that was formed following the African Regional Telecommunications Development Conference in Abidjan in March 19963. This European telemedicine collaboration group aims to explore the use of telemedicine in developing countries. At present, the group includes representatives from 22 telecommunication and medical informatics suppliers, telecommunication operators, universities, hospitals and …

Issue 12: Contributors, Don Flournoy

Online Journal of Space Communication

Biographical information on the Issue 12 contributors.

Satellite Technology Applications In Education: Examples From Greece, Yioryos Nardis

Online Journal of Space Communication

In ancient Greece, there was a mechanism for processing space information from the earth. The Antikythera has since been referred to as the world's first (mechanical) computer. In Greece, the Antikythera mechanism was used to fabricate calendars and schedules for seasons of harvesting and for organizing religious festivals. More than two millennia later, the descendants of these early scholars and technicians are still using outer space to educate themselves, but now the mechanism is electronic and digital using software and spaced-based satellites.

Worldspace Satellite Radio, S. Rangarajan

Online Journal of Space Communication

There are significant challenges to the delivery of quality education to less-developed nations. The primary obstacle is the lack of available and affordable connectivity solutions. Broadcast satellites can play an important role to fill this void. Particularly, digital broadcast satellites can provide audio and multimedia contents to multiple locations simultaneously. WorldSpace, with its extensive reach and low-cost terminals, offers a viable solution to increase the access to global educational resources. This solution includes audio formats, asynchronous multimedia delivery and creation of virtual classrooms with instructor-led, synchronous delivery of audio-visual presentations. These help enhance the quality of education delivery across Africa …

The Broadband Satellite System "Ipstar": Applications In Asia-Pacific Region, Masudul Biswas

Online Journal of Space Communication

The increasing trend of data traffic has turned the world into an information society. Even so, a significant portion of the areas and populations of the world have remained outside the flow of data traffic keeping them information-poor. That is why the issue of "digital divide" has popped up. But it is the cost-effectiveness factor of delivering systems that has guided the changes taking place in information and communication technologies that will ultimately benefit the end users.

Access To Education In Africa Via Satellite, Hala Ibrahim

Online Journal of Space Communication

The potential of satellite technologies to improve access to education in Africa is discussed in this paper. Education contributes to sustainable development in Africa. However, accessibility to quality education has been stalled by many barriers, including lack of infrastructure, lack of trained teachers, high teacher/student ratios and shortage of educational materials. Satellites are among the information and communication technologies (ICTs) with the potential to by-pass terrestrial barriers to deliver educational services to scattered users.

The Challenges Of Distance Education, Abdul Waheed Khan

Online Journal of Space Communication

Education is of extreme importance as it is key to equipping the workforce with the skills needed to develop national economies. The importance is exemplified by the "Education for All" movement, a global commitment to provide quality basic education for all children, youth and adults, which links directly to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Sustainable development of quality primary education is dependent on complementary development in the secondary and tertiary education sectors. With economies relying more and more on the generation and application of knowledge, productivity is increasingly dependent on the development and spread of technological innovation. Higher education …

Issue 11: Contributors, Don Flournoy

Online Journal of Space Communication

Biographical information for the Issue 11 contributors:

Daniel Butler

Don Flournoy

Scott Madry

Joseph Pelton

Scheduling Allocation And Inventory Replenishment Problems Under Uncertainty: Applications In Managing Electric Vehicle And Drone Battery Swap Stations, Amin Asadi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, motivated by electric vehicle (EV) and drone application growth, we propose novel optimization problems and solution techniques for managing the operations at EV and drone battery swap stations. In Chapter 2, we introduce a novel class of stochastic scheduling allocation and inventory replenishment problems (SAIRP), which determines the recharging, discharging, and replacement decisions at a swap station over time to maximize the expected total profit. We use Markov Decision Process (MDP) to model SAIRPs facing uncertain demands, varying costs, and battery degradation. Considering battery degradation is crucial as it relaxes the assumption that charging/discharging batteries do not …

Issue 7: Contributors, David Hartshorn, Martin Jarrold

Online Journal of Space Communication

List of Issue 7 Contributors.

Future Solutions: Universal Access, David Hartshorn

Online Journal of Space Communication

Today, the nations of the world have an immediate opportunity to advance essential telecommunication policy objectives through harmonisation of regulations governing the use of fixed satellite-based network solutions.

Regulatory Reform: Strengthening Access To Information & Communications Technologies: Guidelines To Facilitate Policy & Regulation For Satellite Services, Global Vsat Forum

Online Journal of Space Communication

This document was prepared by GVF, an association of organisations engaged in the delivery of advanced broadband and narrowband satellite services to consumers, and commercial and government enterprises worldwide.

Regulatory Reform: Asia's Great Step Forward, David Hartshorn

Online Journal of Space Communication

This paper was presented at Connect-World Asia Pacific, June 2002.

Forget about a great leap forward. All that's needed to facilitate communications in Asia are a few small steps. Indeed, today all nations of the world have an immediate opportunity to advance essential telecommunication policy objectives through harmonisation of regulations governing the use of telecommunications solutions.

Regulatory Reform: Wanted: A Bridge For Africa's Digital Divide Apply: Pretty Much Anywhere In Africa Quote Reference: Vsat, Martin Jarrold

Online Journal of Space Communication

For Africa, and for the economy of the whole planet, those hundreds of millions of people across the continent who are currently denied reasonable access to even simple voice service represent a vast untapped pool of creativity. This very large and potentially very powerful economic dynamo demands access to more than the simplest tools of communication, and requires the means to unleash the potential productivity of its own knowledge-base into an increasingly connected world. The International Telecommunications Union acknowledges this, as does its sister organisation, the United Nations. The Global VSAT Forum enjoins you to acknowledge it too.

Overview: A+B+C = Vsat, Martin Jarrold

Online Journal of Space Communication

The benefits of VSAT systems and services are being realised in all spheres across the globe, both private and public. Banks, government departments, schools, hospitals, home offices, small enterprises, multi-national corporates, and rural telephony… all sectors are seizing upon the opportunity to get connected through satellite communications.

Overview: Satellite Communication In Ghana - Challenges And Prospects, Kwasi Boateng

Online Journal of Space Communication

Busy Internet is a Ghanaian ISP that uses satellite connectivity to bring Internet to West Africans. The operations of this ISP illustrate the reliability, versatility and efficiency of, VSAT, (Very Small Aperture Terminal) networks in delivering fast broadband Internet services.

Overview: Politics And Technology Converge: Case Studies On The Effects Of Regulatory Reform On Vsat Adoption In Developing Countries, Emmanuel Adugu, Kwasi Boateng, D. Flournoy, Eric Gavua, Wencelous Kaswoswe, Miao Zhang

Online Journal of Space Communication

Developing countries are actively implementing satellite data networks, and have undertaken policy reforms to facilitate such networks. This research examines how regulatory changes have resulted in the removal of barriers relating to the deployment of access technologies and growth in connectivity, especially in VSAT installations for low cost Internet access. In addition, this research seeks to identify the socio-economic impact of emerging data network applications in government, business, health and education. In some cases, government offices have been the driver of change; in other cases, businesses have been the ones to initiate and press these developments forward.

Overview: Pipelines Of The Skies, Errol Olivier

Online Journal of Space Communication

Advances in fixed satellite technology are enabling oil and gas concerns to enhance the efficiency of offshore operations with cost-effective voice and data network solutions.

Space And Defense – Volume Twelve – Number One – Winter 2021, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Overview: Satellite Signal Security: Copyright Protection Korean Dbs Content And Transaction Security, Don Flournoy

Online Journal of Space Communication

As a result of new developments in broadband communication, residential users, office workers and those who move from place to place have more ways to access the programming and services they want when they want them.

Bridging The Digital Divide: Towards A New Paradigm, Virgil Labrador

Online Journal of Space Communication

My direct experience in the "digital divide" was when I was marketing director for a band-new state-of-the-art program origination and satellite transmission facility in Singapore seven years ago in 1996. Our first and anchor client was the highly successful Discovery Network--which housed in our facility the first all-digital channel to the Asia-Pacific market.

Strengthening Access To Communications Policy & Regulatory Guidelines For Satellite Services, David Hartshorn

Online Journal of Space Communication

This work is designed to help bridge the "Regulatory Divide" that continues to thwart end users' efforts to obtain affordable communications. From tele-medicine to distance learning to rural telecenters to disaster recovery to enterprise networks, the satellite industry is offering not only telecommunications solutions for the "have nots", but also the regulatory tools to enable the public sector to fulfill their policy objectives.

Technological Issues: A Day In The Life Of A Satcom Engineer In Nigeria, Andy Hope

Online Journal of Space Communication

The day began early, like all African days.

Social And Cultural Issues: The Impact Of Digital Divide On Development And How Satellite Addresses This Problem, Robin Gambu Wani Latio

Online Journal of Space Communication

The paper examines the problem of inaccessibility to education by the vast majority in East Africa, the factors that contribute to education problems and how the digital divide further helps isolate people in the rural communities of the region.

The author proposes satellite technology as the solution to the digital divide and offers reasons to support this proposition. Technology use in Uganda is discussed as a case study to provide further evidence that satellite communications help close the digital divide gap.

Social And Cultural Issues: Social, Cultural And Economic Issues In The Digital Divide - Literature Review And Case Study Of Japan, Shuho Otani

Online Journal of Space Communication

The definition of the digital divide generally refers to unequal access to digital and network resources, including the Internet, and opportunities to learn using information and communication technologies. The gaps are usually concerned with economic, social and cultural issues, such as income, age, education, gender, ethnic background, and physical handicaps.

Issue 5: From The Guest Editor, Bruce Elbert

Online Journal of Space Communication

This issue of the Online Journal of Space Communication focuses on a matter of social concern for which satellite technology is well-positioned to help overcome traditional communication limitations of terrain and distance. Literally the entire globe is within the reach of one satellite system or another, making it possible to extend telephone, television, radio, data and Internet communications to every corner and everybody.

Historical Development: The Alouette Program, Jack Rigley

Online Journal of Space Communication

In the 1950's at the height of the Cold War, Defence Research Bureau (DRB) laboratories, located in Ottawa, were involved in research and development to keep Canadians abreast of leading edge technology and ensure that Canadian forces were adequately equipped for their defence role.

Astronaut-Acquired Photography Of Earth: Its History And Continued Applicability In Quantitative Analyses, Jennifer Gebelein

Online Journal of Space Communication

Aerial and satellite photography has been used extensively in many different research efforts, for example, atmospheric studies, vegetation analysis, and change detection. Archives of historical aerial and satellite photography are a valuable resource to the science community.

There is currently an archive of over 450,000 photographs of Earth taken by United States astronauts dating back to the early 1960's. This archive covers the majority of the Earth's surface and offers imagery taken by a variety of camera configurations including film and digital, various lenses, different look angles, and changing solar illuminance. There is extensive repeat coverage over many regions of …

Multi-Sensor Image Registration, Fusion And Dimension Reduction, Jacqueline Le Moigne

Online Journal of Space Communication

With the development of future spacecraft formations comes a number of complex challenges such as maintaining precise relative position and specified attitudes, as well as being able to communicate with each other. More generally, with the advent of spacecraft formations, issues related to performing on-board and automatic data computing and analysis as well as decision planning and scheduling will figure among the most important requirements. Among those, automatic image registration, image fusion and dimension reduction represent intelligent technologies that would reduce mission costs,would enable autonomous decisions to be taken on-board, and would make formation flying adaptive, self-reliant, and cooperative. For …

Ohioview: A Case Study In Progress, James K. Lein

Online Journal of Space Communication

OhioView is a consortium of 10 state universities within Ohio established to promote the low-cost distribution of US Government civilian satellite data for public use. Dedicated to the goal of reducing the financial and technological barriers to use remotely sensed satellite data, OhioView has made a significant contributions to the educational, research and public use of satellite imagery through a continuing program of focused and applied land cover studies, expanded university level teaching, and public and private outreach and training. A grassroots organization formed in 1996 by its member universities, OhioView's mission is to develop remote sensing applications, create educational …