Network termination and methods for use therewith

A method comprising:

• receiving downstream data from a communication network;
• modulating the downstream data by physical layer processing, into downstream channel signals formatted in accordance with a wireless standard communication protocol, the downstream channel signals compatible with direct wireless connectivity to wireless devices via the wireless standard communication protocol without requiring either analog to digital conversion or digital to analog conversion analog conversion, the downstream channel signals corresponding to downstream frequency channels of a guided wave communication system that convey first data via a first guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to a transmission medium of the guided wave communication system;
• sending the downstream channel signals, formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol, over a fiber optic link to the guided wave communication system for propagation via the first guided electromagnetic wave along the guided wave communication system at non-optical frequencies without an electrical return path;
• receiving upstream channel signals, formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol, corresponding to upstream frequency channels from the guided wave communication system via a second guided electromagnetic wave, wherein the guided wave communication system includes a plurality of repeaters that receives and repeats the first guided electromagnetic wave and the second guided electromagnetic wave along the transmission medium, and wherein the plurality of repeaters further provides the direct wireless connectivity to the wireless devices via individual antennas of a distributed antenna system;
• demodulating the upstream channel signals into upstream data;
• and
• sending the upstream data to the communication network.

A network terminal comprising:

• a channel modulator configured to modulate first data, by physical layer processing, into first channel signals formatted in accordance with a wireless standard communication protocol, the first channel signals compatible with wireless connectivity to wireless devices via the wireless standard communication protocol without requiring either analog to digital conversion or digital to analog conversion analog conversion, to convey the first data via a first guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to a transmission medium of a guided wave communication system;
• an interface, coupled to a fiber optic link configured to send the first channel signals formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol over the fiber optic link to the guided wave communication system for propagation via the first guided electromagnetic wave at non-optical frequencies without an electrical return path and to receive second channel signals formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol via the fiber optic link, the second channel signals from the guided wave communication system via a second guided electromagnetic wave, wherein the guided wave communication system includes a plurality of repeaters that receives and repeats the first guided electromagnetic wave and the second guided electromagnetic wave along the transmission medium, and wherein the plurality of repeaters further provides the wireless connectivity to the wireless devices via individual antennas of a distributed antenna system;
• and
• a channel demodulator configured to demodulate the second channel signals into upstream data.