Patent ID: 8538323

Claim:
A method for transmitting data in a satellite system having multiple spot beams, the method comprising: sending a broadband signal in a forward direction from a gateway terminal to a communications satellite for relay to at least one subscriber terminal; receiving the broadband signal at the communications satellite, wherein the communications satellite comprises a bent pipe repeater having a plurality of satellite-based transmission amplifiers, each satellite-based transmission amplifier configured to perform amplification to generate one and only one service spot beam, wherein there is a one to one correspondence between satellite-based transmission amplifiers and service spot beams; amplifying the broadband signal using one of the plurality of satellite-based transmission amplifiers to produce an amplified broadband signal, wherein the one of the plurality of satellite-based transmission amplifiers is employed to amplify only the broadband signal and no other broadband signal from the gateway terminal; sending the amplified broadband signal to the at least one subscriber terminal, the amplified broadband signal being sent as one of a plurality of service spot beams, the one of the plurality of service spot beams having an earth surface coverage area including the at least one subscriber terminal, wherein the amplified broadband signal alone occupies the one of the plurality of service spot beams; and receiving and retrieving data from the amplified broadband signal at the at least one subscriber terminal.