System and method of augmenting terrestrial communication

A communication converter comprising:

• a RF signal port for coupling said communication converter to a terrestrial RF transceiver;
• an antenna port for coupling said communication converter to a satellite antenna;
• a terrestrial-to-satellite (T/S) conversion unit configured to receive via said RF signal port terrestrial RF communication signals generated by said terrestrial RF transceiver and convert them into uplink satellite communication signals;
• a satellite-to-terrestrial (S/T) conversion unit configured to receive via said antenna port downlink satellite communication signals received by said satellite antenna and extract therefrom terrestrial RF communication signals thereby carried;
• one or more signal generators configured to generate local oscillator signals for the conversion of the terrestrial RF communication signals into the uplink satellite communication signals, and for the extraction of the terrestrial RF communication signals from the downlink satellite communication signals, and wherein said terrestrial-to-satellite (T/S) conversion unit is configured to modulate a local oscillator signal generated by the one or more signal generators with the terrestrial RF communication signals received by said communication converter via the RF signal port, and wherein said satellite-to-terrestrial (S/T) conversion unit is configured to use a local oscillator signal generated by the one or more signal generators to extract the terrestrial RF communication signals from the downlink satellite communication signals received by said communication converter;
• and
• a detection unit configured to detect at least the reception of the terrestrial RF communication signals at said RE signal port and/or the reception of downlink satellite communication signals at said antenna port, and generate based thereon data/signals for setting mode of operation of said communication converter into a −T/S mode or a S/T mode.