Quality of Service (QoS) (Satcom)

Quality of Service (QoS) in satcom is the set of mechanisms that prioritize and guarantee performance for specific traffic over a shared satellite link, defined by committed information rate, latency, jitter, and packet-loss targets. Onboard routers classify traffic so navigation and operational data, voice, and crew welfare each get an assigned priority and bandwidth allocation, protecting critical functions when the link congests. QoS contrasts best-effort service, where all traffic competes equally. Service-level agreements express these guarantees, often paired with committed-rate plans rather than pure bandwidth-on-demand.