Abstract: The signal translating repeater is located in the aircraft and enables a traditional ground-based mobile subscriber station to provide wireless telecommunication services to a subscriber in both the terrestrial (ground-based) and non-terrestrial regions. The signal translating repeater receives frequency translated cell site cellular signals, comprising cellular radio frequency communication signals from a cell site that are in a mode compatible with ground-based cellular communications but shifted in frequency from the standard ground-based cellular radio frequency communication signals to other radio frequencies that are allocated for non-terrestrial cellular communications.

Abstract: The present signal translating repeater is located in an aircraft and provides service to mobile subscriber stations that are located in the aircraft, using the ground-based cellular communication paradigm. The present signal translating repeater converts these ground-based cellular communication signals into signals pursuant to the non-terrestrial cellular telecommunication format and transmits these signals to the non-terrestrial cell site(s) presently serving the aircraft. In this manner, the subscribers in the aircraft can use their existing ground-based mobile subscriber stations in a manner that is consistent with use in communicating with the ground-based cell sites, while the aircraft communicates with the non-terrestrial cell site(s) presently serving the aircraft in a manner that is consistent with non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations.

Abstract: The signal translating repeater is located in the aircraft and enables a traditional ground-based mobile subscriber station to provide wireless telecommunication services to a subscriber in both the terrestrial (ground-based) and non-terrestrial regions. The signal translating repeater receives frequency translated cell site cellular signals, comprising cellular radio frequency communication signals from a cell site that are in a mode compatible with ground-based cellular communications but shifted in frequency from the standard ground-based cellular radio frequency communication signals to other radio frequencies that are allocated for non-terrestrial cellular communications.

Abstract: The present signal translating repeater is located in an aircraft and provides service to mobile subscriber stations that are located in the aircraft, using the ground-based cellular communication paradigm. The present signal translating repeater converts these ground-based cellular communication signals into signals pursuant to the non-terrestrial cellular telecommunication format and transmits these signals to the non-terrestrial cell site(s) presently serving the aircraft. In this manner, the subscribers in the aircraft can use their existing ground-based mobile subscriber stations in a manner that is consistent with use in communicating with the ground-based cell sites, while the aircraft communicates with the non-terrestrial cell site(s) presently serving the aircraft in a manner that is consistent with non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations.

Abstract: The method and apparatus of the present invention converts a geographically dispersed collection of transceivers into an organized packet switched network with greater utilization of each transceiver and a significant reduction in the number of central control sites as well as the elimination of a substantial number of the ground-based communication links between central control sites and their hierarchically senior data collection elements. This is accomplished by the implementation of virtual waveguides that represent deterministic data communication highways through the plurality of radio transceivers to transmit data from various sources to identified destinations.