Satellite Monitoring
First, it is important to distinguish between the two types of satellite systems concepts:
- General satellite operators like EutelSat, ArabSat, Vsat, etc. are mainly used to provide telecom carriers or broadcasting stations with a transmission bandwidth or provide dedicated links to private users and organizations (VSat)
- Satellite communication systems provide clients with communication capabilities over certain coverage, like Inmarsat, Thuraya, Aces, etc. using attractive handhelds similar to GSM
The approach to define an interception capability is totally different for both types. For general Satellite Systems a detailed survey is required, as the interception solution will be different for each country based on the satellite footprints and the terminals used within the area that should be intercepted. For the satellite communication - "off the shelf" interception systems are available. These systems are purely passive and do not need any support from a satellite operator. All signals are passively monitored, decoded and viewed. In case of Thuraya Monitoring the exact positions of the intercepted phones will also be given. Satellite interception, especially with the Thuraya network, is becoming more and more important as mobile satellite services have expanded very successfully due to the small size of handhelds and the combined roaming possibilities within the GSM networks using the same handset. The coverage of Inmarsat is worldwide. The coverage of Thuraya is over Europe, Middle East, most of Africa, Central Asia, Far East and Australia.
