A machine-implemented method for expanding a dynamic range in a Ka band spot beam satellite system, the machine-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a plurality of automatic gain control components of a channelizer of a satellite gateway, a plurality of digitized signals associated with a plurality of inroutes; for each of the received plurality of digitized signals: performing, by the at least one automatic gain control component, automatic gain control on a respective digitized signal to produce a respective automatic gain controlled digitized signal, downconverting the respective automatic gain controlled digitized signal to produce a respective downconverted signal; providing the respective downconverted signal to a burst processor component, the burst processor component performing: determining an automatic gain control estimate for the respective downconverted signal, obtaining a code rate associated with the respective downconverted signal; and providing the automatic gain control estimate and the code rate associated with the respective downconverted signal to a processor component of the satellite gateway; and the processor component performing: calculating an automatic gain control value based on the automatic gain control estimate and a non-zero fixed bias associated with the obtained code rate, and providing, by the processor component, at least one automatic gain control reference to the at least one automatic gain control component to affect the automatic gain control performed by the at least one automatic gain control component, the at least one automatic gain control reference being based on calculated automatic gain control values associated with a plurality of downconverted signals. receiving, by a plurality of automatic gain control components of a channelizer of a satellite gateway, a plurality of digitized signals associated with a plurality of inroutes; for each of the received plurality of digitized signals: performing, by the at least one automatic gain control component, automatic gain control on a respective digitized signal to produce a respective automatic gain controlled digitized signal, downconverting the respective automatic gain controlled digitized signal to produce a respective downconverted signal; providing the respective downconverted signal to a burst processor component, the burst processor component performing: determining an automatic gain control estimate for the respective downconverted signal, obtaining a code rate associated with the respective downconverted signal; and providing the automatic gain control estimate and the code rate associated with the respective downconverted signal to a processor component of the satellite gateway; and performing, by the at least one automatic gain control component, automatic gain control on a respective digitized signal to produce a respective automatic gain controlled digitized signal, downconverting the respective automatic gain controlled digitized signal to produce a respective downconverted signal; providing the respective downconverted signal to a burst processor component, the burst processor component performing: determining an automatic gain control estimate for the respective downconverted signal, obtaining a code rate associated with the respective downconverted signal; and providing the automatic gain control estimate and the code rate associated with the respective downconverted signal to a processor component of the satellite gateway; and determining an automatic gain control estimate for the respective downconverted signal, obtaining a code rate associated with the respective downconverted signal; and providing the automatic gain control estimate and the code rate associated with the respective downconverted signal to a processor component of the satellite gateway; and the processor component performing: calculating an automatic gain control value based on the automatic gain control estimate and a non-zero fixed bias associated with the obtained code rate, and providing, by the processor component, at least one automatic gain control reference to the at least one automatic gain control component to affect the automatic gain control performed by the at least one automatic gain control component, the at least one automatic gain control reference being based on calculated automatic gain control values associated with a plurality of downconverted signals. calculating an automatic gain control value based on the automatic gain control estimate and a non-zero fixed bias associated with the obtained code rate, and providing, by the processor component, at least one automatic gain control reference to the at least one automatic gain control component to affect the automatic gain control performed by the at least one automatic gain control component, the at least one automatic gain control reference being based on calculated automatic gain control values associated with a plurality of downconverted signals.