Patent ID: 8358577

Claim:
A method of operating a communication system comprising wireless access nodes and a network control system, wherein user devices and the wireless access nodes communicate over wireless links, and wherein the wireless access nodes and the network control system communicate over individually associated backhaul links, the method comprising: transferring forward communications in a forward direction from the network control system to a first one of the wireless access nodes over a forward link portion of a first backhaul link associated with the first wireless access node, and transferring reverse communications in a reverse direction from the first wireless access node to the network control system over a reverse link portion of the first backhaul link; monitoring forward performance of the forward link portion and monitoring reverse performance of the reverse link portion; when the forward performance of the forward link portion exceeds a forward threshold, then identifying a second of the wireless access nodes to assist the first wireless access node and instructing the first wireless access node to initiate a first backup wireless link between the first wireless access node and the second wireless access node; when the reverse performance of the reverse link portion exceeds a reverse threshold, then identifying a third of the wireless access nodes to assist the first wireless access node and instructing the third wireless access node to initiate a second backup wireless link between the first wireless access node and the third wireless access node; and using ones of the first backup wireless link and the second backup wireless link to offload communications of the first backhaul link.