Investigation of the Effect of Cloud Covers in Satellite Communication

The effect of cloud cover in satellite communication was investigated from the data collected at Nigeria Telecommunication Limited, standard A, earth station, Enugu. Data were collected during moderate and heavy rainy season and moderate and heavy dry season from the signal received by the earth station from China, satellite link BER for Burst 12, and South Africa, satellite link BER for Burst 28. The result showed that cloud cover affects satellite communication and is much prominent during rainy seasons as lots of bad signals and unusable signal were recorded by the earth station. This is attributed to so much water content, moist, fog, dew and dust that is in the cloud by that period of the year and this does not allow signals to be transmitted very well and as such bad, interference and unusable signal results.