Femtocell-based mesh network with optical interconnect for 4-G multimedia communications

In a wireless RF mesh network including a plurality of RF mesh routers, at least one of said plurality of mesh routers having a wireless optical interface, at least one first Internet gateway residing in said wireless RF mesh network for providing Internet backhaul, a method comprising the steps of:

• selecting one or more candidate routers from one or more of said plurality of mesh routers;
• and
• assigning dynamically at least one of said selected candidate mesh routers to act as a second Internet gateway through a line-of-sight link to a base station residing in a network different from said wireless RF mesh network.

A Femtocell network system comprising:

• at least one Femtocell base station having Internet backhaul and connecting to a wireless optical device;
• and
• a connecting module adapted for (1) dynamically connecting said Femtocell base via a line-of-sight link to at least one of a plurality of RF mesh routers residing in a wireless RF mesh network different from said Femtocell network, and (2) upon receiving request from said RF mesh router providing Internet connection to said wireless RF mesh network.