Patent ID: 8861341

Claim:
A communications system comprising: a public internet service provider; and a satellite hub, wherein the public internet service provider is connectable to a client system by a first link and connectable to an internet by a second link, wherein the satellite hub is connectable to the client system via a satellite link, wherein the public internet service provider and the satellite hub are connected by a dedicated point-to-point interconnect, and wherein the public internet service provider is configured to detect failure of the first link between the public internet service provider and the client system and re-route outbound and inbound communications to and from the internet to the satellite hub via the interconnect between the public internet service provider and the satellite hub in the event that the first link between the internet service provider and the client system fails, thereby providing a back-up route to the client system; and wherein the internet service provider is arranged to receive new communications for the client system from internet users in said internet who have not received a communication from the client system via the back-up route and who do not have visibility of the back-up route and reroute the new communications via the dedicated point-to-point interconnect, such that the back-up route is transparent to said internet users in event of said failure.