Patent ID: 7251250

Claim:
A method for accessing a reverse channel for communication from a fixed remote unit to a fixed base station in a fixed wireless network comprising a plurality of base stations in communication with a plurality of remote units, the method comprising: at the fixed remote unit, waiting a random period of time in response to determining that the reverse channel to said fixed base station of said plurality of base stations is available at a first time; at the fixed remote unit, monitoring a forward channel to said fixed remote unit of said plurality of remote units after expiration of the random period of time to determine whether the reverse channel is available at a second time; and at the fixed remote unit, transmitting to the fixed base station of the fixed wireless network a first portion of data on the reverse channel in one of multiple timeslots, the first portion of data being transmitted in response to determining that the reverse channel is available at the second time, wherein the first portion of data relates to a second portion of data transmitted on another timeslot when the first and second portions of data relate to a larger block of data to be transmitted, and wherein each of the multiple timeslots are of substantially uniform duration.