Fixed Satellite Service (FSS)

The fixed satellite service (FSS) refers to satellite communications services in which signals are relayed between fixed Earth stations at specified locations. These Earth stations are typically large, complex, and relatively expensive, and are interconnected with terrestrial telecommunications networks to support long-distance and international communications.

FSS satellites are commonly used to provide trunk links, international telephony, data transmission, broadcasting distribution, and backhaul services. They typically operate in frequency bands such as C-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band and employ high-gain antennas and stable pointing to support reliable, continuous links between known locations.