Multiple access system and method for determining a distance to an endpoint

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a first endpoint, a downlink signal from a satellite at a first time, wherein the downlink signal is also received by a second endpoint;
• calculating, by the first endpoint, a first delay value based on one or more identifiers of the first endpoint and an algorithm, wherein the first delay value is different from a second delay value calculated by the second endpoint;
• and
• sending, by the first endpoint, a first uplink signal to the satellite at a second time such that the first uplink signal arrives at the satellite at a different time than an arrival of a second uplink signal from the second endpoint, wherein the first delay value is equal to a difference between the first time and the second time.

An apparatus comprising a processor having programmed instructions to:

• send a downlink signal to a first endpoint and a second endpoint at a first time;
• receive a first uplink signal from the first endpoint at a second time, wherein the second time is based on a first delay value calculated by the first endpoint;
• receive a second uplink signal from the second endpoint at a third time, wherein the third time is based on a second delay value calculated by the first endpoint;
• calculate the first delay value and the second delay value based on one or more identifiers of the first endpoint and the second endpoint, respectively, and an algorithm;
• and
• responsive to calculating the first delay value and the second delay value, determine a first distance between a satellite and the first endpoint and a second distance between the satellite and the second endpoint.