Patent ID: 7949338

Claim:
A network management system (NMS), comprising a network configuration element executable by a controller adapted to: identify for each of a plurality of wireless base terminals (WBTs) a resultant communication path to a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) according to a plurality of performance characteristics and a delay injected into at least one of a plurality of alternative communication paths connecting combinations of the WBTs to the MTSO; arrange portions of the plurality of WBTs into a corresponding plurality of groups having first and second groups in the plurality of groups sharing at least one WBT; and select for the at least one WBT shared by the first and second groups its resultant communication path to the MTSO according to performance characteristics corresponding to differential delays calculated for alternative communication paths associated with combinations of WBTs in the first and second groups and the delay injected into the at least one of the plurality of alternative communication paths.