Abstract: A communication network comprises at least a first region serviced by a base station. This region also comprises a plurality of bridging stations deployed around the base station, so defining a circumference around it. Each bridging station comprises one or more directional antennas operable to generate a coverage area lying predominantly outside said circumference. The effect is to form, in operation, an outer zone predominantly outside said circumference serviced by said bridging stations, and an inner zone within said circumference serviced by said base station. For communications with the outer zone, said base station is operable to assign duplicate OFDMA sub-channels to mobile stations in respective areas of the outer zone served by bridging stations that experience sufficiently low levels of cross-interference from each other's communications.

Abstract: A communication network comprises at least a first region serviced by a base station, and further comprises a plurality of bridging stations deployed around the base station so defining a circumference about said base station. Each bridging station comprises one or more directional antennas operable to generate a coverage area lying predominantly outside said circumference, so forming in operation an inner zone within said circumference wherein bridging station sensitivity and signal strength is significantly lower than that of the base station.

Abstract: A communication network comprises at least a first region serviced by a base station. This region also comprises a plurality of bridging stations deployed around the base station, so defining a circumference around it. Each bridging station comprises one or more directional antennas operable to generate a coverage area lying predominantly outside said circumference. The effect is to form, in operation, an outer zone predominantly outside said circumference serviced by said bridging stations, and an inner zone within said circumference serviced by said base station. For communications with the outer zone, said base station is operable to assign duplicate CDMA spreading codes to mobile stations in respective areas of the outer zone served by bridging stations that experience sufficiently low levels of cross-interference from each other's communications.