A method comprising the following steps performed by at least one processor of a primary gateway and at least one processor of a secondary gateway: assigning a diverse channel set to each of a plurality of diverse terminals, each diverse channel set including at least a forward channel from the primary gateway and a forward channel from the secondary gateway, the primary gateway and secondary gateway being part of a satellite communication system; designating (412, 514) the primary gateway and secondary gateway, respectively, as a home gateway and a foreign gateway for a first set of diverse terminals from the plurality of diverse terminals; designating (414, 516) the secondary gateway and primary gateway, respectively, as the home gateway and foreign gateway for a second set of diverse terminals from the plurality of diverse terminals; enabling (416, 518) communication between each diverse terminal and its home gateway along the forward channel assigned from the home gateway; and further comprising the following steps performed by each diverse terminal: monitoring (418, 524), link conditions between each diverse terminal and its home gateway or gateway with which it is currently enabled to communicate; and reconfiguring (422, 528) any diverse terminal for communication with the foreign gateway or a gateway with which it is not currently enabled to communicate, based at least in part, on its link conditions falling below a predetermined threshold; and further comprising the following steps performed by each gateway (220, 230): determining when an imbalance exists between a load on the primary gateway and a load on the secondary gateway; and rebalancing the loads between the primary gateway and the secondary gateway by reconfiguring at least one diverse terminal. assigning a diverse channel set to each of a plurality of diverse terminals, each diverse channel set including at least a forward channel from the primary gateway and a forward channel from the secondary gateway, the primary gateway and secondary gateway being part of a satellite communication system; designating (412, 514) the primary gateway and secondary gateway, respectively, as a home gateway and a foreign gateway for a first set of diverse terminals from the plurality of diverse terminals; designating (414, 516) the secondary gateway and primary gateway, respectively, as the home gateway and foreign gateway for a second set of diverse terminals from the plurality of diverse terminals; enabling (416, 518) communication between each diverse terminal and its home gateway along the forward channel assigned from the home gateway; and further comprising the following steps performed by each diverse terminal: monitoring (418, 524), link conditions between each diverse terminal and its home gateway or gateway with which it is currently enabled to communicate; and reconfiguring (422, 528) any diverse terminal for communication with the foreign gateway or a gateway with which it is not currently enabled to communicate, based at least in part, on its link conditions falling below a predetermined threshold; and further comprising the following steps performed by each gateway (220, 230): determining when an imbalance exists between a load on the primary gateway and a load on the secondary gateway; and rebalancing the loads between the primary gateway and the secondary gateway by reconfiguring at least one diverse terminal. monitoring (418, 524), link conditions between each diverse terminal and its home gateway or gateway with which it is currently enabled to communicate; and reconfiguring (422, 528) any diverse terminal for communication with the foreign gateway or a gateway with which it is not currently enabled to communicate, based at least in part, on its link conditions falling below a predetermined threshold; and further comprising the following steps performed by each gateway (220, 230): determining when an imbalance exists between a load on the primary gateway and a load on the secondary gateway; and rebalancing the loads between the primary gateway and the secondary gateway by reconfiguring at least one diverse terminal.