Embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for efficient control signaling over shared communication channels with wide dynamic range. Some embodiments includes a gateway configured to encode and to transmit multiple physical layer headers, including a first physical layer header and a second physical layer header. The first physical layer header may span a first length and represent a first modcode; the second physical layer header may span a second length and represent a second modcode. The second length may be longer than the first length. Embodiments may include multiple terminals in wireless communication with the gateway via satellite, including a first terminal configured to decode the first physical layer header and to determine the first modcode. Embodiments may include a second terminal configured to decode the second physical layer header and determine the second modcode.