Patent ID: 6965755

Claim:
A system for monitoring signal quality of signals to be broadcast to a satellite and broadcast in spot beams to a service area outside of a broadcast area comprising: a broadcast site within a predefined broadcast area, the broadcast site transmits the signals to the satellite and the satellite transmits the signals to the service area foreign to the broadcast; a network monitoring operations located at the broadcast site for monitoring signal quality of the signals before the signals are transmitted to the satellite; at least one remote site in the service area that receives the signals broadcast by the satellite; wherein said at least one remote site in the foreign service area further comprises a signal strength meter for measuring a strength of the signals, the signal strength measurement being used to detect problems with the satellite transmission to the foreign service area; wherein the network monitoring operations further comprises a computer for monitoring the signal strength measurements; wherein said computer has software for analyzing the signal strength measurements and raising an alarm upon loss or degradation of the signals; means for avoiding alarms for signal degradation that is a result of rain fade; a database for storing signal strength measurements from said at least one remote site thereby providing a history of satellite transponder performance; database being used to support long term trend analysis of the satellite transponder; wherein said signal strength meter measures the signal strength of the CONUS transponder carrier signals.