GEO based mobile communication of the near future – BFN and packet switch on the ETS‐VIII satellite

R&D on a mobile communication system with S‐band using a geostationary earth orbit satellite is being carried out in Japan. Its communication and broadcasting mission will be loaded on the Engineering Test Satellite VIII (ETS‐VIII), which will be launched in 2002, and related experiments are planned for the following three years. In order to achieve seamless data communication with IMT‐2000 (International Mobile Telecommunications‐2000)‐based users, we set a target whereby voice communication and low speed data communication would be possible using a hand‐held terminal, and high‐speed data communication and packet communication would be possible using a terminal on a car. To achieve the mission, developments such as a large on‐board deployable reflector are necessary. Here we focus the discussion on the antenna feed system and the packet switching system which are being developed in Japan in the Communications Research Laboratory.