Transport challenges facing a next-generation hybrid satellite Internet

This paper considers the transport layer implications of assuming a position were satellite networks form one integrated component of a hybrid Internet architecture. It reviews the key role of transport protocols in providing a reliable and robust end-to-end Internet service. A history of TCP protocol evolution from a satellite perspective is followed by a focus on the role of protocol enhancing proxies (PEPs) in satellite systems and how these have impacted the introduction of new Internet transport techniques. Current transport research issues are identified and related to two new architectural approaches to highlight the expected performance benefits and derive the implications on the design of geostationary satellite Internet systems as the network evolves towards a next generation Internet.