Abstract: A system for synchronizing base transceiver stations includes a reference base transceiver station and a subordinate base transceiver station. Each base transceiver station has a clocks with the same frequency but any relative phase, and a timing reference. The reference base transceiver station imposes its own timing reference on each subordinate base transceiver station to compensate the phase difference between the two stations. The timing reference is imposed by having a mobile station listen to the reference base transceiver station and the subordinate base transceiver station, deducing a time shift D1 between the two base transceiver stations from the perspective of the mobile, determining a propagation time difference D2 between the mobile and the reference base transceiver station and the subordinate base transceiver station upon the occurrence of a handover that involves the reference base transceiver station.

Abstract: In a TDMA type cellular mobile radio system frequencies are shared between cells of the same re-use pattern and frequency hopping is used so that the frequency used at any time in one of the cells of a re-use pattern is different from those used at the same time in the other cells of that pattern. A base transceiver station of this system commands the sending of one of the frequencies shared in this way during a part of the time division multiple access frame and commands the stopping of all sending during the other part of the frame.