Patent ID: 8130693

Claim:
A satellite communication system for bi-directional communication, the satellite communication system comprising: a plurality of subscriber terminals, wherein: each of the plurality of subscriber terminals uses a plurality of antenna, the plurality of subscriber terminals utilize at least some spatial multiplexing, and each of the plurality of subscriber terminals is configured to process a higher information rate signal constructed from at least a first lower information rate signal and a second lower information rate signal; a first node to relay the first lower information rate signal between a ground station and the plurality of subscriber terminals; and a second node to relay the second lower information rate signal to the plurality of subscriber terminals, wherein: the first node comprises a satellite, the second node comprises a satellite, the first and second nodes are separated by 50 miles or more, the first and second lower information rate signals have at least partially overlapping information, the first lower information rate signal uses a first frequency range for relaying information to the plurality of subscriber terminals, the second lower information rate signal uses a second frequency range for relaying information to the plurality of subscriber terminals, and use of the first and second frequency ranges at least partially overlap in frequency coincident in time.