A communications satellite in geostationary orbit transmits its down-link signal to Earth at a carrier frequency of 12GHz. Engineers must ensure that ground-station antennas are properly sized and that atmospheric absorption is acceptable for this service.
(a) Determine the wavelength of the carrier signal.
(b) Identify the region of the electromagnetic spectrum to which this signal belongs.
(c) Describe one advantage of using this portion of the spectrum for satellite communications, and explain the underlying physical reasoning.
(d) Discuss one potential disadvantage or limitation associated with using this portion of the spectrum for satellite communications.