Patent ID: 8126510

Claim:
A cellular communications network architecture, comprising: a first base transceiver station; wherein the first base transceiver station includes public safety network communications equipment and non-public safety network communications equipment; a plurality of distributed antenna system (DAS) nodes; wherein the first base transceiver station is operatively coupled to the plurality of DAS nodes; a second base transceiver station, wherein the second base transceiver station includes public safety network communications equipment and non-public safety network communications equipment; wherein the public safety network communications equipment included in the first and second base transceiver stations provides communications over a frequency that is not available for use by commercial subscribers using the cellular communications network architecture; wherein the first base transceiver station includes a first optical switch and wherein the second base transceiver station includes a second optical switch; and a fiber optic communications link coupled between the first optical switch and the second optical switch, wherein the first base transceiver station is in communication with the second base transceiver station via the fiber optic communications link.