Distributed antenna system providing redundancy

A method of configuring a digital Distributed Antenna System (“DAS”), comprising a plurality of digital remote units configured to provide a DAS interface to wireless communication devices connecting to the DAS and at least one digital master unit configured to provide a DAS interface to base stations connecting to the DAS, the method comprising:

• connecting at least a subset of the digital remote units such that each digital remote unit in the subset is connected either to at least another one of the digital remote units and the at least one digital master unit or to at least two other of the digital remote units;
• connecting at least one of the subset of digital remote units either to at least two other of the digital remote units and the at least one digital master unit or to at least three other of the digital remote units;
• connecting the at least one digital master unit to at least two of the subset of digital remote units, thereby providing at least one path for redundant data transport;
• selecting, for any digital master unit transporting data in a downlink direction to a selected wireless communication device, as a main route for transporting the data from said any digital master unit to the digital remote unit serving the selected wireless communication device, the route resulting in a smallest delay cost metric of all possible routes in the DAS;
• and
• selecting as a redundant route for transporting the data from said any digital master unit to the digital remote unit serving the selected wireless communication device the route resulting in a second smallest delay cost metric of all possible routes in the DAS.

A digital Distributed Antenna System (“DAS”), comprising a plurality of digital remote units configured to provide a DAS interface to wireless communication devices connecting to the DAS and at least one digital master unit configured to provide a DAS interface to base stations connecting to the DAS, the DAS being configured such that:

• at least a subset of the digital remote units is connected such that each digital remote unit in the subset is connected either to at least another one of the digital remote units and the at least one digital master unit or to at least two other of the digital remote units;
• at least one of the subset of digital remote units is connected either to at least two other of the digital remote units and the at least one digital master unit or to at least three other of the digital remote units;
• the DAS further being characterized in being configured such that
• the at least one digital master unit is connected to at least two of the subset of digital remote units, thereby providing at least one path for redundant data transport;
• the DAS further being configured to
• select, for any digital master unit transporting data in a downlink direction to a selected wireless communication device, as a main route for transporting the data from said any digital master unit to the digital remote unit serving the selected wireless communication device, the route resulting in a smallest delay cost metric of all possible routes in the DAS;
• and
• select as a redundant route for transporting the data from said any digital master unit to the digital remote unit serving the selected wireless communication device the route resulting in a second smallest delay cost metric of all possible routes in the DAS.