The C Band Interference

There is one issue that refuses to go away for the satellite industry. It is the C band interference.

ABS’s Chief Operating Officer Scott Sprague said “C band Wi-max issues and interference are always a worry.” He said that the satellite is used for lifeline-like services and then there is also the economic impact.

SES World Skies’s Senior Vice-President Deepak Mathur at SES agreed: “C band is an enormous issue and will be an ongoing issue. We have to remember 98% of video content in Asia is delivered by C band.”

The C band is the name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum which includes wavelengths of microwaves that are used for long distance radio telecommunications. The IEEE C band (4 GHz to 8 GHz) and its slight variations contains frequency ranges that are used for many satellite communications transmissions, some WiFi devices, some cordless telephones, and some weather radar systems.

The microwave frequencies of this band perform better under adverse weather conditions in comparison with others, especially Ku band (11.2 GHz tyo 14.5 GHz) microwave frequencies which are used by another large set of communication satellites. The adverse weather conditions, collectively referred to a rain fade, all have to do with moisture in the air, including rain and snow. 

See: 'Voyager 1': Pre-Voyager Mission Interstellar Mission Profile