Patent ID: 7110781

Claim:
A method for synchronizing between base stations in a telecommunications system which includes a plurality of cells, each of which cells has one of said of base stations and at least one mobile station situated therein, the method comprising: a) providing at least one channel comprising time slots, for usage in the plurality of cells; b) each base station transmitting a synchronization signal, in a given one of the at least one channel, to remaining base stations within transmission range of each respective base station; c) for each base station, calculating respective time differences between corresponding time slots transmitted by the respective base station and received from the respective other base stations within transmission range of the base station; and d) adjusting timing of the synchronization signals of the respective base station according to calculated time differences; wherein the given one of the at least one channel, by which the synchronization signal is transmitted from each of the plurality of base stations to said remaining base stations, is a random access channel transmitted at a frequency within a band of frequencies that is provided for communications between mobile stations and base stations.