Abstract: A subscriber communication system includes a base station in a network with a plurality of subscriber stations, wherein control information is communicated between the base station and the subscriber stations over a radio control channel (RCC) at a frequency selected by the base station from a plurality of predetermined frequencies. The a base station transmits control messages including a unique network number over the RCC. Each subscriber station processes the network number in the control message received over the RCC to enable the subscriber station to process the control message in accordance with whether the subscriber station is in the same network as the base station. The timing of communications transmitted by a subscriber station over a given communication channel between a base station and the subscriber station is refined upon initial establishment of the communication channel.

Abstract: A base station for use in a subscriber communication network for communicating signals between subscriber stations and an external communication network having a plurality of ports includes a communication circuit for enabling simultaneous communications between a plurality of the ports and a plurality of the subscriber stations over a given communication channel having multiple sequentially repetitive time slots; an exchange for connecting the communication circuit to the external communication network ports; and a remote-connection processor coupled to the communication circuit by the exchange and by a base-station control channel occupying a selected one of the time slots for monitoring the status of the other time slots and for causing the communication circuit and the exchange to complete a connection between a given external communication network port and a given subscriber station over a time slot assigned in response to the monitored status in accordance with a predetermined assignment routine.