Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version VT2.0 1/4/84; site vortex.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.news.adm
Subject: satellite broadcast of netnews
Message-ID: <238@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 29-Jan-84 20:55:08 EST
Article-I.D.: vortex.238
Posted: Sun Jan 29 20:55:08 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 02:47:35 EST
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 20

My initial inquiries to some possible distribution sources have met
with luke-warm to warm responses, so it appears that this actually
may happen.  Note that if a particular site is already in an area that
has cable, they will most likely be able to receive data with only
the netnews decoder box being needed.  Areas without cable would either
continue to use conventional telephone techniques or could spring for
an RO dish (I can get units that would suffice for slightly over
$1000, most likely).

Note that the bandwidth of a broadcast vertical interval data signal
(assuming 4 video lines used per field) is about 50 Kbytes/sec.  This
rate is so high that very high levels of redundancy and error-correction
could be easily included.  The cycle of articles would also repeat at
a high rate so that any missed articles could be picked up on the
next cycle.

This is all in the planning stages, so please don't ask me for too
many more details yet...

--Lauren--