Method for transmitting communications services via satellites

Claim 1

Method for transmitting signals associated with a plurality of communications services in time division multiplex operation with multiple access (TDMA) via a satellite equipped with a plurality of receiving units for receiving signals from ground stations, a plurality of transmitting units for transmitting signals to ground stations, and a switching matrix having a plurality of inputs each connected to a respective receiving unit and a plurality of outputs each connected to a respective transmitting unit, the switching matrix being operative for establishing selected connections between its inputs and outputs, said method comprising: switching, by means of the matrix, signals associated with a plurality of services and received at the satellite by at least two of the receiving units to at least one of the transmitting units in the form of signal pulse bursts; demodulating the switched signals in the one transmitting unit; storing the demodulated signals in a memory of the one transmitting unit; then reading the stored signals out of the memory continuously at a pulse rate lower than that of the pulse bursts switched to the one transmitting unit; and broadcasting from the satellite the signals read out of the memory in the form of a continuous stream of signal bits at the lower pulse rate.