Satellite & Earth Station Intelligence
Identify FCC-licensed satellite ground stations, VSAT terminals, and 3650–3700 MHz incumbents near any U.S. location.
WHO BUYS THIS: Federal site planners, CBRS/5G deployers, emergency managers, utility VSAT operators, telecom engineers, DoD/Intel agencies.
Satellite Link Engineering Calculators
8 professional-grade satellite link calculations. Enter values or use auto-populated defaults.
SAT-01: Free Space Path Loss
RF attenuation over distance — foundation of satellite link budgets.
SAT-02: Elevation Angle
Antenna pointing angle to geostationary satellite.
SAT-03: Rain Attenuation
Signal loss during precipitation events.
SAT-04: G/T (Figure of Merit)
Receive system quality — antenna gain vs. noise temperature.
SAT-05: C/N Ratio
Carrier-to-noise — determines modulation and data rate capability.
SAT-06: Slant Range & Delay
Path distance and round-trip latency to GEO orbit.
SAT-07: Antenna Beamwidth & Gain
Beam characteristics from dish diameter and frequency.
SAT-08: Link Margin
Available margin above threshold — determines availability %.
CBRS / 3.5 GHz Coexistence Analysis
The 3550–3700 MHz CBRS band requires protection of incumbent satellite earth stations (FSS). The SAS (Spectrum Access System) manages this automatically, but deployers need to understand exclusion zones around earth stations.
3650–3700 MHz incumbents — stations licensed before CBRS rules can continue operating and receive interference protection from CBRS devices (both PAL and GAA).
Exclusion zone radius: Typically 40–150 km depending on earth station dish size, pointing angle, and terrain. The SAS calculates exact boundaries.
If satellite earth stations exist near your deployment site:
• GAA (General Authorized Access) may be restricted or unavailable in the 3650–3700 MHz sub-band.
• PAL (Priority Access License) holders get SAS-managed protection but must still coordinate.
• Power limits may be reduced near earth stations even if not in the exclusion zone.
• Run an FB-350 CBRS Assessment to see full GAA/PAL availability at your site.
SCS Spectrum Leases
Pick a state and select Show leases.
Satellite Communications Reference
| Band | Downlink | Uplink | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| L-band | 1525–1559 MHz | 1626–1660 MHz | Inmarsat, Iridium, mobile satcom |
| S-band | 2170–2200 MHz | 1980–2010 MHz | Satellite radio (SiriusXM), MSS |
| C-band | 3700–4200 MHz | 5925–6425 MHz | Video distribution, backup links. Rain resilient. |
| Ku-band | 11.7–12.2 GHz | 14.0–14.5 GHz | DTH TV, VSAT, enterprise. Moderate rain fade. |
| Ka-band | 17.7–20.2 GHz | 27.5–30.0 GHz | High-throughput, broadband. High rain sensitivity. |
| V-band | 37.5–42.5 GHz | 47.2–51.4 GHz | Next-gen LEO constellations, very high capacity. |
| Type | Dish Size | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Large Gateway | 7–13 m | Teleport, video uplink, carrier hub |
| Medium Earth Station | 2.4–5 m | Enterprise VSAT, government backup |
| Small VSAT | 0.75–1.8 m | Remote offices, maritime, emergency |
| Receive-Only | 0.45–1.2 m | DTH TV, weather data, GPS reference |
Geostationary satellites sit at fixed longitudes over the equator, but which satellite occupies a given position changes as satellites are relocated, replaced and retired, so this page does not keep a list. For current U.S.-authorized space stations and their positions, check the FCC International Communications Filing System (ICFS).
To see which positions a dish can reach from a location, use SAT-02: Elevation Angle (Link Calculators tab) or the GSO Arc tab of FB-1700, which lists elevation and azimuth to every visible position.