Arthur C Clarke's seminal article in "Wireless World" in October 1945 is reproduced on the link below.
It laid the foundation for the development of communication satellites and television satellites located in geostationary orbits above the Earth. As a consequence, the belt at 22,000 miles above the Earth in which geostationary positioning is possible is now known as the Clarke Belt.
His work has had a profound effect on my life. For twenty years, I was a Radio Officer in the Merchant Navy, using the ionospheric layers to conduct long range radiocommunications around the globe. Satellite communications rendered this job superfluous and I became an ETO (Electro Technical Officer) charged with maintaining all the electrical and electronic systems onboard ship. Today, I spend a considerable portion of my working life utilising, maintaining and expanding the numerous satellite systems employed onboard.
http://www.clarkefoundation.org/docs/ClarkeWirelessWorldArticle.pdf