Method and system for operating a satellite communication system with regional redundant sites and a central site

1. A system comprising:

a satellite;

a regional site uplinking regional uplink signals to the satellite and communicating condition signals to a central site through a terrestrial communication link;

the satellite generating regional downlink signals from the regional uplink signals; and

said central site receiving the regional downlink signals from the satellite and terrestrially receiving the condition signals and communicating control signals for the regional site through the terrestrial communication link.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the regional uplink signals comprise a Ka band uplink signal.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the regional site controls the regional site upon interruption of the terrestrial communication link.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the terrestrial communication link is a dedicated terrestrial communication link.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the regional site comprises a regional primary site generating a regional primary uplink signal and a regional diverse site generating a regional diverse uplink signal.

6. A system as recited in claim 5 wherein the regional primary uplink signal and the regional diverse uplink signal comprises a digital television signal.

7. A system as recited in claim 5 wherein the regional primary uplink signal and the regional diverse uplink signal comprises a high-definition digital television signal.

8. A system as recited in claim 5 wherein the regional primary site and the regional diverse site are geographically separated.

9. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the regional primary site and the regional diverse site are geographically separated by at least 25 miles.

10. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the regional primary site and the regional diverse site are geographically separated by at least 40 miles.

11. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the central site comprises a central primary site and a central diverse site.

12. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the central primary site and the central diverse site are geographically separated.

13. A method comprising:

uplinking regional uplink signals to a satellite;

communicating condition signals to a central site through a terrestrial communication link;

generating regional downlink signals at the satellite from the regional uplink signal;

receiving the regional downlink signals at the central site;

receiving the condition signals at the central site;

generating control signals at the central site for the regional site; and

communicating the control signals through the terrestrial communication link from the central site.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein uplinking comprises uplinking the regional uplink signals from a regional primary site.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein uplinking comprises uplinking the regional uplink signals from a regional diverse site.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising switching to the regional diverse site from the regional primary site and uplinking the regional uplink signals to the satellite from the regional diverse site.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein switching comprises switching in response to an error condition in the regional primary site.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising detecting the error condition at the central site.

19. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising detecting the error condition at the regional site.

20. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein switching comprises switching in response to a manual switch.

21. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising detecting an interruption of the terrestrial communication link and controlling the regional site at the regional site.