A satellite provides communication between user terminals (UTs) and ground stations that connect to other networks, such as the Internet. Because the satellite is within range of many UTs at any given time, many UTs are in contention to use an uplink to send data to the satellite. Each satellite manages uplink contention by maintaining state data representative of the uplink resources allocated for use. As satellites move, handovers take place, transferring communication services from a first satellite to a second satellite. Before a handover, a first satellite sends state data to a UT. The second satellite is also informed about the UT. After the handover, the second satellite provides the UT with priority access to the uplink to send the state data to the second satellite. The second satellite uses the state data to resume management of the uplink, eliminating the need for time consuming link setup.