Abstract: A measurement radio system uses a measurement radio to scan active channels of a base station and produce operating information for the traffic radios servicing the active channels. The measurement radio can produce operating information, such as signal strength, bit error rate (BER), frame error rate (FER) and signal to interference ratio (C/I), which is used to determine whether to change the manner in which the traffic radio is servicing the active channel. For example, if the measurement radio can switch between different sets of antennas, the measurement radio can scan an active voice/data channel using a different set of antennas than the traffic radio is using to service the active channel and determine operating information related to the signal received over the active channel using the different set of antennas. The traffic radio can use the operating information to determine whether to hand off the active channel to the different set of antennas.

Abstract: Sharing the existing sector antennas at the base station each of which corresponds to one sector of the outer communication coverage area to create an omnidirectional inner communication coverage area. When transmitting or receiving data from a mobile in one sector of the outer communication coverage area only one antenna is used, and when transmitting or receiving data from a mobile in the inner communication coverage area all the antennas are used. This allows an increase in capacity of the hybrid inner/outer sectored cell without the additional cost of adding further antennas.

Abstract: A time slotted system capable of switching between two or more antennas during the guard times of the time slots. Switching between antennas during the guard time of the time slots eliminates any disturbance to the user, since it eliminates any loud noise, or popping that can occur during the switching between antennas. The beamwidth of each of the antennas is narrower than needed to cover a sector of a cell of the system, increasing the size of the cell due to the larger gain of the narrower beamwidth antenna elements. The system also includes a scanning radio for determining the optimal signal amongst the signals received on the antennas, and a switch for coupling the antenna receiving the optimal signal to a receiver system. In one embodiment of the invention the optimal signal is based on the information content of the signal, such as the signal's bit error rate.