Abstract: A wireless communication network includes numerous mobile terminals and numerous transceivers (“base stations”). In this wireless communication network, messages sent from the base stations to the mobile terminals are transmitted at a higher data rate than the messages sent from the mobile terminals to the base stations. In one embodiment, a “half-duplex” protocol assigns separate times slots for base stations and mobile terminal transmissions. In another embodiment, a modified “full-duplex” protocol provides “half-duplex” operation in the mobile terminals and “full-duplex”operation in the base stations.

Abstract: A system and a method provide a communication network using time-division multiplexing and a single frequency to achieve maximum utilization of the spectrum and the available bandwidth. In one embodiment, time-division multiplexing is used to share the bandwidth between a wide-area transmitter, operating over a designated service area, and numerous simultaneous channels using the same frequency between local base stations and their associated user terminals. Each local base station is assigned a different non-overlapping portion of the designated service area. The communication network can accommodate devices of different data rates.