Patent ID: 6963552
Filing Date: 2005-11-08
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A system for distributing radio frequency signals in a physical area in which multiple wireless service providers wish to provide service, the system comprising: a plurality of wireless base stations collocated at a hub location, the base stations receiving and transmitted radio frequency signals, with at least two of such base stations operating with radio frequency signals according to two different air interfaces; a base station interface, also located at the hub location, for converting the radio frequency signals associated with the base stations to and from a transport signaling format; a shared transport medium, for transporting the converted signals from the hub location to a plurality of remote access node locations, wherein the shared transport medium is an optical fiber and the shared transport medium uses SONET formatting; a plurality of radio access nodes located at the remote access node locations, the radio access nodes each associated with a partial coverage area corresponding to only a portion of a total system coverage area, and the radio access nodes connected to the shared transport medium; and the radio access nodes further each comprising: a plurality of slice modules, with each slice module containing equipment for converting received radio frequency signals formatting according to a selected one of the air interfaces to the transport signaling format and from the transport signaling format to the selected one of the air interfaces; wherein a corresponding connection between a base station and a slice module is allocated a unique SONET frame.