Communications satellites use high-gain antennas to focus their transmission power into a narrow footprint rather than broadcasting over an entire hemisphere. This targeted approach allows the satellite operator to reuse the same frequency in different geographic regions without interference. It drastically increases the overall bandwidth capacity of the satellite network.
We're losing the uplink because the mobile unit drove out of the spot beam footprint.
Related terms
Communications satellite
An orbital spacecraft equipped with transponders to receive, amplify, and redirect radio signals back to Earth.
Downlink
The transmission path from a satellite, cell tower, or network core to the end-user device.
Uplink
The communication path originating from a remote device and traveling toward the core network.