Abstract: An improved multi-beam bent-pipe communications satellite system and method includes a subchannel switching processor for extracting and switching subchannels of information to and from a plurality of uplink and downlink beams and an intersatellite link for routing certain of the extracted subchannels to another satellite in the system. The subchannel switching processor preferably employs a partial subchannelization processor that combines a coaxial switching network for switching some of the uplink channels at the channel level with an analog or digital transparent subchannel switching network connected to a portion of the uplink channels for extracting and switching at the subchannel level. The switched subchannels are combined to form channels, and then routed to either the downlink beams (where they are combined with other switched channels), or to the intersatellite link for transmission to another satellite.