Abstract: A system and method for controlling data congestion affecting user terminals in a communications network, such as satellite terminals in a satellite communications network. The system and method employs a congestion detector adapted to determine that data congestion exists in the network which interferes with an ability of at least one user terminal to communicate in the network, and a congestion controller, adapted to control downlinking of data from the network controller to at least one select group of the user terminals and uplinking of data from at least one select group of the user terminals to the network controller, in response to the data congestion. The congestion controller and control downlinking and uplinking of data to and from the select group or groups of terminals based on criteria such as user terminals which are all located within a single uplink cell or user terminals which are located within all uplink cells in said network.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling interference affecting user terminals in a communications network, such as satellite terminals in a satellite communications network, by establishing and using virtual cells which are independent of the cells formed by the spot beams generated by the satellite. The system and method employs an interference detector which is adapted to detect interference in the network which interferes with an ability of at least one user terminal to communicate in the network, and an interference source identifier which is adapted to identify a source of the interference by deactivating at least one select group of the user terminals based on criteria independent of the respective cell or cells in which the user terminals reside, to locate those terminals whose ability to communicate in the network is being interfered with by the detected interference.

Abstract: A method and apparatus allowing an installer to configure and commission a large number of satellite terminals in the field without requiring the installer to either handle papers or to manually enter alphanumeric data into a computer, thus reducing the chances of human error. The installer uses a portable processing device capable of wireless communication to download work orders from a network service provider, obtain identification codes from satellite terminal components, obtain geographic location (e.g., via GPS), load work order and location to satellite terminal, upload configuration data from the satellite terminal, point a dish to optimally receive signals while viewing pointing information generated by the portable processing device, commission the satellite terminal within the satellite communication network, and upload completed work orders and commissioning data from the satellite terminal to the network service provider.