Patent ID: 6898418

Claim:
A method of performing downstream adaptive modulation in an MMDS, broadband, fixed wireless communication system having a base station with a transmitter-receiver and one or more CPE devices each having a transmitter-receiver, the system utilizing a DOCSIS MAC pursuant to which the DPU is a variable length, Ethernet-type data packet, which comprises: operating the base station to transmit data downstream to the CPE devices in a plurality of data modulation modes; assigning one of the modulation modes to each respective CPE device; monitoring the quality of downstream data transmission to, and reception by, each CPE device; and if the quality of downstream data transmission to and reception by any CPE device receiving data in its assigned modulation mode lies outside a predetermined quality range, assigning a different modulating mode to such CPE device, the different mode rendering the data transmission quality within the predetermined quality range, wherein the monitoring step is effected by monitoring and analyzing upstream messages from the CPE devices.