Ancillary Terrestrial Component
Encyclopedia
Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) is a U.S. Federal Communications Commission
-approved technique for using a "terrestrial" network of cell-phone towers
to supplement a Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) provided by orbiting communications satellites.
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
-approved technique for using a "terrestrial" network of cell-phone towers
Cellular network
A cellular network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver known as a cell site or base station. When joined together these cells provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area...
to supplement a Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) provided by orbiting communications satellites.