Abstract: A cordless telephone system comprising a handset and a base station. Each of the handset and the base station contains a transmitter and a receiver, preferably operating on different frequencies. At least one of the handset and the base station controls frequency hopping based on a signal received from the other of the handset and the base station. In a preferred embodiment, The handset transmitter transmits to the base station a combined signal including a digital portion and an analog portion. The base station separates the combined signal to recover the digital portion and the analog portion and employs the analog portion to convey communicated information and the digital portion to control frequency hopping in the transmitter of the base station. The handset transmitter provides a local oscillator signal to the handset receiver to enable frequency conversion in the handset receiver.