Random access control channel gain control and time slot recovery for remote in-band translator in time division multiple access wireless system

A cellular communication system consisting of a plurality of cells, the plurality of cells being located substantially adjacent one another, and the cellular communication system operating over a specified frequency range, the cellular communication system making use of a frequency allocation plan that arranges the cells into clusters, the system comprising:

• a home base station including a MULTICARRIER broadband base transceiver system for receiving and transmitting multiple radio signals on multiple respective carrier frequencies, including a demodulator for demodulating said received radio signals and for coupling demodulated signals to a switching means, and means for modulating signals received from the switching means and coupling them for radio transmission on the multiple carrier frequencies;
• a plurality of in-band translator means, each of said plurality of in-band translator means located in a respective one of said plurality of cells in the cluster, each in-band translator means further including
• first translator means for receiving a first uplink ground signal from a mobile station located in the respective one of said plurality of cells and translating a carrier frequency of said first uplink ground signal to a first divergent carrier frequency within the specified radio frequency range to produce a first backhaul signal and then connecting said first backhaul signal for transmission to the home base station means,
• second translator means for receiving a second downlink backhaul signal from said home base station means and translating a carrier frequency of said second downlink backhaul signal to a second divergent carrier frequency within the specified radio frequency range, to produce a second downlink ground signal, and then connecting said second downlink ground signal for transmission to said mobile station, said translator means additionally including loop back means selectively actuable to select a loop back mode during which said downlink signal is coupled to an input of said uplink input,
• random access control channel diversity selection means for receiving said first uplink ground signal containing a random access control channel burst, detecting the random access control channel burst in said first uplink ground signal, and synchronizing said random access control channel burst with said MULTICARRIER broadband BTS.