Method and apparatus for sharing infrastructure between wireless network operators

• US 20030078052A1
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Celerica Ltd. (Unity Wireless Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Celerica, Inc. (Unity Wireless Corp.)
• Inventors: Atias, Nissim, Cizin, Miguel
• Application Number:
  US10/255,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078052A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1125 using a single common optical path
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1127 using two distinct parallel optical paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25759 Details of the reception of RF signal or the optical conversion before the optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for sharing communications infrastructure between multiple network operators. In one example, a shared network includes a first infrastructure of a first operator, a second infrastructure of a second operator, and a first remote antenna of the first operator disposed on the second infrastructure and coupled to the first infrastructure by a communication link. The communication link may be a wireless optical link between the first remote antenna and the first infrastructure.

Claims

1. A method for adding capacity to a first network, the method comprising acts of:

operating a first remote antenna of a first operator on an infrastructure of a second operator;

transmitting and receiving a wireless signal with the first remote antenna;

transmitting a first signal to the first remote antenna from a first infrastructure of the first operator and providing the first signal from the first remote antenna to the first infrastructure.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting and providing the first signal includes transmitting an optical signal via a wireless optical link between the first infrastructure and the first remote antenna.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting and providing the first signal includes providing the first signal over a coaxial cable.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting and providing the first signal includes providing the first signal over an optical fiber.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting and providing the first signal includes providing the first signal over an RF link.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an act of converting the wireless signal to the first signal at the first remote antenna.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of operating the first remote antenna includes using a sector of a sectored antenna of the second operator.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of operating the first remote antenna includes using a band of a mulitband antenna of the second operator.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of providing the first signal from the first remote antenna includes acts of:

transmitting the first signal from the first remote antenna to a second backhaul structure of the second operator via a second communication link;

transmitting the second signal from the second backhaul structure to a first network of the first operator via a network link; and

receiving the second signal with the first network of the first operator.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting the first signal to the first remote antenna comprises acts of:

transmitting the first signal via a network link to a network of a third operator;

transmitting the first signal from the network to the first remote antenna via a wireless optical link between the network of the third operator and the first remote antenna.

11. A shared network comprising:

a first infrastructure of a first operator;

a second infrastructure of a second operator;

a first remote antenna of the first operator operated on the second infrastructure and coupled to the first infrastructure by a communication link.

12. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the communication link includes a wireless optical link between the first remote antenna and the first infrastructure.

13. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second infrastructure includes a cellular tower.

14. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a second remote antenna of the second operator operated on the first infrastructure and coupled to the second infrastructure by the communication link.

15. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first infrastructure comprises first backhaul structure including a first base station terminal and a first network.

16. The shared network as claimed in claim 15, wherein the communication link comprises a network link between the first network and a second backhaul structure of the second infrastructure;

and

a wireless optical link between the second backhaul structure and the first remote antenna.

17. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the network link includes an RF link.

18. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the network link includes an optical fiber.

19. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a third infrastructure of a third operator, and wherein the communication link include a wireless optical link between the first remote antenna and the third infrastructure and a network link between the third infrastructure and the first infrastructure.

20. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first remote antenna comprises a sector of a sectored antenna of the second operator.

21. The shared network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first remote antenna comprises a band of a multiband antenna of the second operator.