In a base transceiver system of a distributed antenna system wireless communication network, a method for transferring signal samples from a baseband processor to a radio frequency unit over a serial data link, each signal sample associated with one of a plurality of baseband channels, wherein each signal sample includes an in-phase sample and a quadrature sample, the RF unit including a digital up converter that upconverts a sequence of signal samples of each baseband channel to a corresponding one of a plurality of antenna-carrier channels to form a single upconverted digital signal and a digital to analog converter that converts the upconverted digital signal to an analog signal, wherein the RF unit is coupled to an antenna to transmit the analog signal, the analog signal representing the plurality of antenna-carrier channels, the method comprising: compressing the signal samples corresponding to each baseband channel at the baseband processor to form compressed samples in accordance with a compression control parameter wherein each compressed sample includes a compressed I sample and a compressed Q sample; formatting the compressed samples for transfer over the serial data link; transferring the compressed samples over the serial data link from the baseband processor to the RF unit; receiving the compressed samples at the RF unit; and decompressing the compressed samples at the RF unit in accordance with a decompression control parameter to form decompressed signal samples corresponding to each baseband channel, wherein each decompressed sample includes a decompressed I sample and a decompressed Q sample, wherein the decompressed signal samples are provided to the DUC for forming the upconverted digital signal, wherein the step of compressing further comprises: calculating first or higher order differences of the signal samples to form a sequence of difference samples in accordance with the compression control parameter; and encoding the difference samples to form the compressed samples. compressing the signal samples corresponding to each baseband channel at the baseband processor to form compressed samples in accordance with a compression control parameter wherein each compressed sample includes a compressed I sample and a compressed Q sample; formatting the compressed samples for transfer over the serial data link; transferring the compressed samples over the serial data link from the baseband processor to the RF unit; receiving the compressed samples at the RF unit; and decompressing the compressed samples at the RF unit in accordance with a decompression control parameter to form decompressed signal samples corresponding to each baseband channel, wherein each decompressed sample includes a decompressed I sample and a decompressed Q sample, wherein the decompressed signal samples are provided to the DUC for forming the upconverted digital signal, wherein the step of compressing further comprises: calculating first or higher order differences of the signal samples to form a sequence of difference samples in accordance with the compression control parameter; and encoding the difference samples to form the compressed samples. calculating first or higher order differences of the signal samples to form a sequence of difference samples in accordance with the compression control parameter; and encoding the difference samples to form the compressed samples.