Wireless communications network base station extension

A method for providing in-band backhauling from a first base station to a second base station in a wireless communication network, said method comprising:

• connecting a device to a first base station, said device comprising:
• a) a backhauling interface unit for physically connecting to and interfacing with said first base station using a standard backhaul interface and a standard backhaul protocol to and from the first base station, said backhauling interface unit comprising logic for providing a standard backhauling interface for backhauling from the first base station, and
• b) an air interface unit for connecting to said first backhauling interface unit, comprising logic for
• encapsulating, within a subscriber station communications protocol, backhaul communications in the standard backhaul protocol received from said backhauling interface unit,
• for wirelessly transmitting the encapsulated backhaul communications to a second base station, the second base station being configured to provide backhauling from and to the first base station and from and to a core network, and
• de-encapsulating backhaul communications received from the second base station in the subscriber station communications protocol,
• wherein the backhauling interface unit, the air interface unit and the second base station jointly provide a channel for backhauling from the first base station.