Importance

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Abstract

A satellite communications system (10) includes at least one satellite (12); a system controller (38); a plurality of gateways (18); and at least one user terminal (13) operable for bidirectionally communicating with at least one of the gateways through the at least one satellite. Individual ones of the plurality of gateways are bidirectionally coupled to at least one terrestrial communications system (4) and act to couple the user terminal to the terrestrial communication system through at least one satellite. In accordance with an aspect of this invention, individual ones of the plurality of gateways are operable for receiving an access request from the user terminal, through at least one satellite, and are further operable for notifying the requesting user terminal, through at least one satellite, that the user terminal is one of accepted by the gateway for establishing a communication link and not accepted by the gateway for establishing the communication link. A gateway that does not accept a user terminal can indicate to the user terminal, based at least in part on a determined location of the user terminal, an identification of a gateway to which the user terminal should apply for access or log-in purposes. The system further includes a data network (39) that interconnects the system controller and the plurality of gateways. The data network may be conveyed by and embodied in one of a wired network, a wireless network, and a combination of a wired network and a wireless network.

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First Claim