FSS – is as well the official classification (used chiefly in North America) for
geostationary communications satellites that provide broadcast feeds to television stations, radio stations and broadcast networks. FSSs also transmit information for
telephony,
telecommunications, and
data communications. u bands (11.45–11.7 and 12.5–12.75 GHz in Europe, and 11.7–12.2 GHz in North America). The higher-frequency bands tend to have more spectrum and orbital slots available, but more expensive technology and higher
rain margin. FSSs operate at lower power than DBSs, requiring a much larger receiving dish than a DBS system, usually for Ku band, and or larger for C band, compared with for DBS dishes. Unlike DBSs, which use
circular polarization on their transponders, FSS transponders use
linear polarization. Systems that receive television channels and other feeds from FSSs are usually referred to as
TVRO (television receive only) systems, or pejoratively "
big ugly dish" (BUD) systems (due to the much larger dish size compared to systems for DBS reception). The Canadian
Shaw Direct satellite TV service relies on FSS technology in the Ku band.
Primestar in the US used Ku transponders on an FSS for its delivery to subscribing households until Primestar was acquired by
DirecTV in 1999. ==FSS outside North America==