US Patent 7664534 Communications system and method using remote antennas

In a communications system, one or more remote antenna systems communicate with one another and with associated base stations using a millimeter band microwave link, such as an E-band communications link. The remote antennas may be daisy-chained together to communicate with a plurality of base stations located at a base station hotel. Remote antennas may be positioned in cells having different peak traffic times to enable load balancing between base stations that share a common backhaul communications link with a mobile switching center.