FIELD: satellite communications engineering. SUBSTANCE: proposed communication system has satellite communication system segment incorporating satellite that projects plurality of rays onto the Earth surface, ground-based satellite gateway bidirectionally connected to satellite and also to ground communication system. Satellite ray projected onto the Earth surface determines regional coverage area within which coverage area of local wireless line is disposed. Communication system also has ground-based communication segment incorporating base station of local wireless line affording bidirectional message exchange with plurality of user terminals within coverage area of local wireless line and virtual gateway bidirectionally connected to base station of local wireless line and to satellite. Virtual gateway responds to signals arriving from ground-based satellite gateway to take control over satellite communication system for the time being so as to conduct bidirectional message transmission to or from one of user terminals. Virtual gateway can also transfer paging and radio broadcast messages to terminal users, these messages being first received by virtual gateway from ground-based satellite gateway through satellite. EFFECT: enhanced reliability of communication system. 12 cl, 74 dwg
