Patent ID: 8879477

Claim:
A method of increasing a radio coverage area of a base transceiver station having multiple transceivers, said method comprising the steps of: defining a first transceiver group comprising at least one first transceiver and at least one third transceiver of said multiple transceivers, said at least one first transceiver and said at least one third transceiver are connected to a first antenna arrangement; defining a second transceiver group comprising at least one second transceiver of said multiple transceivers, said at least one second transceiver is connected to a second antenna arrangement; dedicating said at least one first transceiver of said first transceiver group for a broadcast control channel carrying control data; assigning said at least one second transceiver of said second transceiver group and said at least one third transceiver of said first transceiver group for a downlink traffic channel; dedicating said at least one third transceiver for said broadcast control channel if said at least one first transceiver becomes inoperative; performing frequency hopping according to a selected frequency hopping scheme among at least two carrier frequencies assigned to said base transceiver station for said downlink traffic channel to provide a first form of transmitter diversity and increase a radio coverage area associated with said downlink traffic channel; and performing antenna hopping according to a selected antenna hopping scheme among at least two antenna elements of the first antenna arrangement for said broadcast control channel to provide a second different form of transmitter diversity and increase a radio coverage area associated with said broadcast control channel, said radio coverage area of said base transceiver station being defined as the intersection of said radio coverage area associated with said downlink traffic channel and said radio coverage area associated with said broadcast control channel.