The concept, technical architecture, applications and impacts of satellite internet: A systematic literature review

To conduct a comprehensive review of international publications, this study focuses on discussing the development status and future trends of Satellite Internet. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, all peer-reviewed publications in English from journals indexed with the SSCI and SCIE categories of the Web of Science are reviewed, with an emphasis on studies that focused only on the architecture, functions, technologies, and applications of Satellite Internet across the entire period. A total of 2085 records were identified, of which 69 met the inclusion criteria. Through a systematic literature review, the results show that three main research perspectives were summarised and a unified Satellite Internet definition and technical architecture were innovatively provided. Additionally, Satellite Internet application industries and scenarios were comprehensively sorted, and four types of potential impacts were categorised and discussed. This study provides an insightful analysis of recent trends in Satellite Internet research, which may provide guidance for planning and supporting the forthcoming wave of information infrastructure growth. Future research should broaden the scope of theoretical studies when assessing the strategic importance of Satellite Internet. Further quantitative research is needed to provide a more scientific and comprehensive perspective.