Differential delay mitigation in diverse backhaul environments

1. A method of operating a communication system, the method comprising:

in a mobile switching center, determining a first delay metric for first traffic transmitted on a first path to the mobile switching center from a first base station, wherein the first delay metric is determined from a difference in time between when a first timing message is sent from the first base station and when the first timing message is received at the mobile switching center;

in the mobile switching center, determining a first delay differential based on the first delay metric and a second delay metric for second traffic transmitted on a second path to the mobile switching center from a second base station, wherein the second delay metric is determined from a difference in time between when a second timing message is sent from the second base station and when the second timing message is received at the mobile switching center and wherein the first delay differential is determined from the difference in time between the first delay metric and the second delay metric;

transmitting a control message indicating the first delay differential from the mobile switching center to the second base station;

receiving the control message at the second base station; and

in response to receiving the control message, in the second base station, delaying the second traffic based on the first delay differential.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in the mobile switching center, determining a second delay differential based on the first delay metric and a third delay metric for third traffic transmitted on a third path to the mobile switching center from a third base station, transmitting a second control message indicating the second delay differential from the mobile switching center to the third base station, receiving the second control message at the third base station, and, in response to receiving the second control message, in the third base station, delaying the third traffic based on the second delay differential.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in the mobile switching center, transmitting a timing request to the first base station and receiving the first timing message from the first base station in response to the timing request.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising delaying the second traffic based on the delay differential to synchronize the second traffic with the first traffic to within a synchronization parameter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first path comprises an Ethernet path.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second path comprises a T-1 line.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first path comprises a WiMAX path.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first traffic comprises voice communications.

9. A communication system comprising:

a mobile switching center configured to determine a first delay metric for first traffic transmitted on a first path to the mobile switching center from a first base station, wherein the mobile switching center determines the first delay metric from a difference in time between when a first timing message is sent from the first base station and when the first timing message is received at the mobile switching center, determine a first delay differential based on the first delay metric and a second delay metric for second traffic transmitted on a second path to the mobile switching center from a second base station, and transmit a control message indicating the first delay differential to the second base station, wherein the mobile switching center determines the second delay metric from a difference in time between when a second timing message is sent from the second base station and when the second timing message is received at the mobile switching center and determines the first delay differential from the difference in time between the first delay metric and the second delay metric;

the second base station configured to receive the control message; and

the second base station further having a delay buffer configured to delay the second traffic based on the first delay differential.

10. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the mobile switching center is further configured to determine a second delay differential based on the first delay metric and a third delay metric for third traffic transmitted on a third path to the mobile switching center from a third base station having another delay buffer, transmit a second control message indicating the second delay differential to the third base station, and wherein the third base station is configured to receive the control message and the other delay buffer is further configured to delay the third traffic based on the second delay differential.

11. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the mobile switching center is further configured to transmit a timing request to the first base station and receive the first timing message from the first base station in response to the timing request.

12. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the delay buffer is further configured to delay the second traffic based on the delay differential to synchronize the second traffic with the first traffic to within a synchronization parameter.

13. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the first path comprises an Ethernet path.

14. The communication system of claim 13 wherein the second path comprises a T-1 line.

15. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the first path comprises a WiMAX path.

16. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the first traffic comprises voice communications.