Advantages

1. Retail Link system (Advantages for Walmart)

- Retail Link displays real-time sales data from cash register and to Walmarts
-

distribution centers. (Traub, 2012)

Other than that, Retail Link allows suppliers to access large amounts of online,
real-time, item-level data to help those suppliers improve operations. (Schuman,
2004)

2. Supply chain synchronization (Advantages for Walmart)

- Walmart suppliers are all connected to the Retail-Link system through Walmarts
satellite communication system. These suppliers can check their inventory levels
and replenish them accordingly. Each supplier is also given information from
analysts who forecast the quantity of their products which is needed to be
restocked. This is to ensure fast and adequate renewal of stock so as to avoid
empty shelves in Walmart stores. This is all achieved through their global satellite
system. (Traub, 2012)

3. Wide area of coverage

- This wide area of coverage is achieved because point to multipoint
communication is possible, meaning one satellite can transmit to many ground
stations. This eliminates the need of many satellites to correspond with the many
-

ground stations. (Oureducation)

The coverage area can cover a country, continent or even the globe. Based on the
type of satellite communications systems, it is possible to achieve global
coverage. Due to this ability of wide coverage, satellite communications systems
are used for providing communications capabilities in many remote areas where
other technologies would not be viable (Poole). People living in remote areas can
stay in touch with people from all around the world using the satellite
communications system. For example, in forest or jungle areas where landlines
are not available, the satellite system would come in handy.

4. Mobility

Almost all areas of the globe can be reached depending on the type of satellite
system used, and ground station do not need to be in a specific location be
functioning. For this very reason, many ships use satellite communications as a

means of communication and navigation. (Poole)

Due to its flexibility in interconnecting mobile devices, mobile vehicles and other
mobile structures, mobile communication can be easily achieved by satellite
communication.

5. Reliability
- Communications satellite frequencies do not depend on reflection or refraction
like optical transmission, and is only slightly affected by weather conditions and
atmospheric phenomena. The satellite is physically located outside the Earths
atmosphere and therefore is immune from the effects of weather, lightning and
intentional damage. The reliability is only restricted by the equipment and the
-

skills of the operating and maintenance personnel. (Integrated Publishing)

Has a very high reliability rate and the satellites are made from components
designed to withstand space conditions such as extreme heat or cold. A
malfunction of any hardware component is highly unlikely.

6. Quality
- Compared to transmission lines such as fiber cable or fiber optics, the satellite
communication has the advantage of the quality of transmitted signals and the
location of Earth Stations. The sending and receiving information independent of
distance. This means that no matter how far the stations are from the satellite, the
quality remains the same. (Oureducation)

Disadvantages
1. Huge initial cost

Satellites are not cheap to build, it has to be placed in orbit and maintenance is

also needed. This means that the operational costs are high. (Poole)
Depending on the equipment and materials used, and the type of satellite, the cost
can range from 50 million dollars to 1 billion dollars. A big part of that cost is just
for launch vehicles which are for delivering the satellite into space. Furthermore,
if things dont go as well as planned during a launch, a multi-million project can

end up in pieces and it will cost more to repair the satellite. (GlobalStar)
Also, part of that cost has to be allocated for the satellites space segment or more
commonly known as its orbital slot. (SATCOM Online, 2001)

2. Size
- The size of a satellite can range from 5 kilograms to 6 tonnes. The heavier it is, the
more cost it will take to launch the satellite into space. (FCC State Learning
-

Center)
Also, transportation will be a big hassle as large vehicles have to transfer the
components bit by bit to the launch site. Cost is also involved. Much more time is
taken to get the satellite launched into space.

3. Short lifetime
- Averages about fifteen years of lifetime. Lifetime is based on how much fuel is
there is. The more fuel, the longer the lifetime. But the more fuel, the heavier it
-

becomes, which incurs more cost in the end. (Kurtin, 2013)

Having short lifetimes will result in having to deploy a whole new satellite every
time the previous one is redundant, which will take up lots of resources and time.

4. Impossible to repair or maintain hardware components

- Reparation of satellite is almost impossible, once it has been launched. It is not
possible to send a repair person so if components fail, they cant be fixed, only
replaced. (Space Exploration Debate, n.d.)

Redundant components which no longer functions have to be replaced, which

means the components have to be flown in and exchanged with the redundant

components. (Mangoud)
A major failure in hardware could result in the loss of the whole satellite.

5. Specialised satellite terminals required

- Despite having an operator which will manage and handle the satellite system, the
user would still require a specialised communication terminal to interact with the
satellite. This would also incur high cost, and another limitation is that it can only
be used with one provider. (Poole)

6. Propagation delay
- In a communications system, propagation delay refers to the time lag between the
departure of a signal from the source and the arrival of the signal at the
-

destination. (Rouse, 2007)

There is a larger propagation delay in satellite communication than in terrestrial
communication which is a few nanoseconds in terrestrial communication as

compared to 0.25 seconds with satellite communication. (Rouse, 2007)

Reduces the efficiency of satellite in data transmission.

Bibliography
FCC State Learning Center, n.d. How Big Are Satellites?. [Online]
Available at:
http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone/satellite/kidz/how_big_are_sats.html
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
GlobalStar, n.d. GlobalStar. [Online]
Available at: http://www.globalcomsatphone.com/hughesnet/satellite/costs.html
[Accessed 1 December 2013].

Integrated Publishing, n.d. TPUB. [Online]

Available at: http://electriciantraining.tpub.com/14189/css/14189_135.htm
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
Kurtin, O. D., 2013. ViaSatellite. [Online]
Available at: http://www.satellitetoday.com/publications/2013/03/01/satellite-lifeextension-reaching-for-the-holy-grail/
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
Oureducation, n.d. Our Edublog. [Online]
Available at: http://blog.oureducation.in/advantage-and-disadvantage-of-satellitecommunication/
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
Poole, I., n.d. Radio-Electronics.com. [Online]
Available at: http://www.radioelectronics.com/info/satellite/communications_satellite/satellite-communicationsbasics-tutorial.php
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
Rouse, M., 2007. SearchNetworking. [Online]
Available at: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/propagationdelay
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
SATCOM Online, 2001. [Online]
Available at: http://www.satcom.co.uk/article.asp?article=3&section=4
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
Schuman, E., 2004. eWEEK. [Online]
Available at: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Enterprise-Applications/At-WalMartWorlds-Largest-Retail-Data-Warehouse-Gets-Even-Larger/
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
Space Exploration Debate, n.d. Space Exploration Debate. [Online]
Available at: http://debateonspaceexplorationcons.weebly.com/debate.html
[Accessed 1 December 2013].
Traub, T., 2012. Arkansas Business Publishing Group. [Online]
Available at: http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/85508/wal-mart-usedtechnology-to-become-supply-chain-leader?page=all
[Accessed 1 December 2013].