Multiport wireless access system using fiber/coax networks for personal communications services (PCS) and subscriber loop applications

This paper presents the multiport system concept for interconnecting the radio ports of a microcellular personal communications services (PCS) network or wireless local loop. The radio ports are low-cost since they have minimal functionality. Air interface signals are transported without demodulation from radio ports to a central hub. The scheme exploits the availability of existing fiber/coax infrastructure. A novel feature is that the radio ports are dynamically assigned to capacity-sharing groups depending on the traffic needs. Within a group, the radio ports simply simulcast the radio signals and share dedicated cable spectrum and call-processing hardware. This proposal, with its resource sharing and dynamic capacity allocation benefits, is applicable to various air interface formats. The proposal features a low start-up cost upon service introduction and low cost of service in low-traffic and low-penetration areas. It also allows graceful upgrade to the capacity allowed by small microcells without requiring any modification of the radio ports or transport infrastructure.