Enabling a digital wireless service for a mobile station across two different wireless communications environments

A method and an apparatus for enabling a digital wireless service across a first and a second wireless communications environment is provided. The method comprises translating a receive signal carried on a forward link and having a first carrier frequency in the first wireless communications environment from a first frequency band to a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. The method further comprises translating a transmit signal carried on a reverse link and having a second carrier frequency in the first wireless communications environment from the second frequency band to the first frequency band. In this way, a digital wireless service may be provided between a mobile station and at least one base station on the ground across two different wireless communications environments. The method further comprises compensating Doppler shift separately for individual beams directed at a plurality of terrestrial base stations. The method further comprises injecting an additional path delay to insure that the terrestrial base stations receive reverse link signals at substantially similar round trip time offsets and to reduce search windows for the terrestrial base stations. In this way, a wireless communication system may enable in-flight use of a mobile station to communicate with one or more base stations on the ground.