Patent ID: 8565823

Claim:
A method for controlling operation of an oscillator in a basestation of a cellular communications system, the method comprising: detecting, by the basestation, signals transmitted by at least one other basestation of the cellular communications system, the signals transmitted by the at least one other basestation on system downlink frequencies for purposes of communication with user equipment devices; estimating a frequency error between a first reference oscillator signal generated within said basestation by a first oscillator and reference oscillator signal or signals generated within said at least one other basestation, the estimate of frequency error based on the detected signals transmitted by said at least one other basestation; controlling operation of said first oscillator to minimize said frequency error; and generating, in the base station, signals at system uplink frequencies and system downlink frequencies of the cellular communications system based on oscillator signals generated by said first oscillator, the oscillator signals resulting from controlling the operation of said first oscillator to minimize said error.