MEMS switch with high off state voltage standoff rating

A method of accommodating an input voltage that is higher than a standoff voltage of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) apparatus, comprising:

• providing the MEMS apparatus comprising at least one pair of MEMS switches, each pair of MEMS switches comprising:
• a first MEMS switch;
• a second MEMS switch electrically coupled to the first MEMS switch at a midpoint, the first and second MEMS switches being arranged in a back-to-back configuration;
• an input electrically coupled to the first MEMS switch;
• an output electrically coupled to the second MEMS switch;
• at least one input component electrically coupled across the first MEMS switch from the input to the midpoint;
• and
• at least one output component electrically coupled across the second MEMS switch from the midpoint to the output;
• distributing the input voltage from an input of a first pair of MEMS switches of the at least one pair of MEMS switches to an output of a last pair of MEMS switches.