Patent ID: 8532242

Claim:
A communication system, comprising: a first master host unit adapted to communicate analog signals with at least a first service provider interface using a first set of bands of analog spectrum; a plurality of digital communication links coupled to the first master host unit, wherein the first master host unit is further adapted to communicate digitized spectrum in first N-bit words over at least a first digital communication link of the plurality of digital communication links and second N-bit words over at least a second digital communication link of the plurality of digital communication links; the first master host unit further adapted to convert between the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum, the first master host unit further adapted to convert between the first set of bands of analog spectrum and the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum; a first hybrid expansion unit communicatively coupled to the first master host unit by the first digital communication link of the plurality of digital communication links and adapted to communicate the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum with the first master host unit across the first digital communication link, the first hybrid expansion unit further adapted to convert between the first N-bit words of digitized spectrum and a second set of bands of analog spectrum; a first analog communication link coupled to the first hybrid expansion unit, wherein the first hybrid expansion unit is further adapted to communicate the second set of bands of analog spectrum across the first analog communication link; a first analog remote antenna unit communicatively coupled to the first hybrid expansion unit by the first analog communication link and adapted to communicate the second set of bands of analog spectrum with the first hybrid expansion unit across the first analog communication link, the first analog remote antenna unit further adapted to transmit and receive first wireless signals over a first plurality of air interfaces; a first digital remote antenna unit communicatively coupled to the first master host unit by the second digital communication link of the plurality of digital communication links and adapted to communicate the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum with the first master host unit across the second digital communication link, the first digital remote antenna unit further adapted to convert between the second N-bit words of digitized spectrum and a third set of bands of analog spectrum, the first digital remote antenna unit further adapted to transmit and receive second wireless signals over a second plurality of air interfaces; and wherein the first master host unit, the first hybrid expansion unit, the first analog remote antenna unit, and the first digital remote antenna unit are synchronized in time and frequency.