Patent ID: 7346347

Claim:
In a fixed wireless access (FWA) communication system having at least a first fixed-site base station and at least first and second fixed-site subscriber stations each capable of wirelessly communicating with the first fixed-site base station, an apparatus for facilitating radio communication with a mobile station, said apparatus comprising: a local-network radio transceiver positioned at each of the at least first and second fixed-site subscriber stations, each said local-network radio transceiver selectably transceiving communication signals representing wireless communication of the fixed-site base station with the mobile station upon a local radio link formed between the respective local-network radio transceiver and the mobile station when the mobile station is positioned within a selected range of the fixed-site subscriber station at which the respective local-network radio transceiver is positioned and handing off to the other local-network radio transceiver when the mobile station moves outside the selected range of the fixed-site subscriber station at which the respective local-network radio transceiver is positioned but within the selected range of the other fixed-site subscriber station at which the other local-network radio transceiver is positioned.