Pulse-address multiple access

In telecommunication, pulse-address multiple access (PAMA) is the ability of a communication satellite to receive signals from several Earth terminals simultaneously and to amplify, translate, and relay the signals back to Earth, based on the addressing of each station[?] by an assignment[?] of a unique combination of time and frequency slots.

Note: This ability may be restricted by allowing only some of the terminals access to the satellite at any given time.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from MIL-STD-188