High speed data service via satellite modem termination system and satellite modems

A method for a satellite communication in compliance with a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) standard, the method comprising:

• receiving a radio frequency (RF) upstream signal;
• demodulating the received RF signal to generate soft decision quadraphase-shift keying (QPSK) output signal;
• turbo decoding the QPSK output signal;
• decoding the turbo decoded output signal by a Reed-Solomon (RS) decoder;
• assembling DOCSIS packets in the RS decoded signal;
• and
• forwarding the assembled data to a data network.

A satellite earth station system for upstream and downstream data communication comprising:

• a host computer coupled to a data network for receiving data packets from a data network and processing the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) management packets;
• a demodulator/Media Access Control (MAC) card coupled to the host processor including
• a DOCSIS MAC coupled to the host computer for encrypting transmit packet data from the data network responsive to the processed DOCSIS management packets from the host computer,
• a burst demodulator for demodulating upstream data received from a satellite modem, and
• a turbo decoder coupled to the burst demodulator and the DOCSIS MAC for decoding the demodulated data from the burst demodulator and sending the decoded data to the DOCSIS MAC, wherein the DOCSIS MAC sends DOCSIS management packets portion of the decoded data to the host computer and sends transmit packet data portion of the decoded data to the data network;
• and
• a satellite modulator coupled to the demodulator/MAC card for modulating the encrypted transmit packet data from the DOCSIS MAC to generate downstream output data for transmission to the satellite modem.