A method comprising: establishing a first Layer-3 connection between a plurality of very small aperture terminals, VSATs (110a - 110n), and one or more distributed gateways, GWs (120a-120c), over a satellite network; establishing a second Layer-3 connection between the one or more distributed GWs (120a-120c) and a data center over a backhaul network ; establishing an external connection between the data center and external networks ; enabling communication between the plurality of VSATs and the external networks along the first Layer-3 connection, the second Layer-3 connection, and the external connection; managing , by a network management system , access to the external networks by the plurality of VSATs; inspecting all traffic between the plurality of VSATs and the external networks using a deep packet inspection, DPI, unit within the data center; the method being characterized in : deploying at least one additional data center at a different location from the data center ; replicating management and/or session information for the plurality of VSATs (110a - 110n) and the one or more distributed GWs (120a-120c) across the data center and the at least one additional data center; operating the data center and the least one additional data center in load sharing and redundancy mode; and balancing traffic load between the data center and the at least one additional data center. establishing a first Layer-3 connection between a plurality of very small aperture terminals, VSATs (110a - 110n), and one or more distributed gateways, GWs (120a-120c), over a satellite network; establishing a second Layer-3 connection between the one or more distributed GWs (120a-120c) and a data center over a backhaul network ; establishing an external connection between the data center and external networks ; enabling communication between the plurality of VSATs and the external networks along the first Layer-3 connection, the second Layer-3 connection, and the external connection; managing , by a network management system , access to the external networks by the plurality of VSATs; inspecting all traffic between the plurality of VSATs and the external networks using a deep packet inspection, DPI, unit within the data center; the method being characterized in : deploying at least one additional data center at a different location from the data center ; replicating management and/or session information for the plurality of VSATs (110a - 110n) and the one or more distributed GWs (120a-120c) across the data center and the at least one additional data center; operating the data center and the least one additional data center in load sharing and redundancy mode; and balancing traffic load between the data center and the at least one additional data center. deploying at least one additional data center at a different location from the data center ; replicating management and/or session information for the plurality of VSATs (110a - 110n) and the one or more distributed GWs (120a-120c) across the data center and the at least one additional data center; operating the data center and the least one additional data center in load sharing and redundancy mode; and balancing traffic load between the data center and the at least one additional data center. <EOS>