Wireless communication system

1. A method of operating a wireless cellular access point in electrical communication with a cellular network configured to allow access from at least one user device, the method comprising:

(a) determining a set of acceptable cellular base stations by establishing a connection with at least one cellular base station among a plurality of cellular base stations, for a first protocol of operation;

(b) for each cellular base station where a connection is established, determining the available data rate for the connection in a first protocol of operation;

(c) repeating steps described in (a) and (b) for another protocol of operation in response to the cellular network and the cellular access point jointly supporting more than one protocol of operation;

(d) selecting the cellular base station based on a metric that takes into account data rates available over the wireless links corresponding to the plurality of cellular base stations;

(e) periodically repeating steps (a)-(d) during operation;

(f)communicating over a wireless link with a cellular base station selected from a plurality of available cellular base stations by a cellular access point; and

(g) operating the cellular access point such that an antenna adjusted in a preferred direction that is selected based on a data rate that is then available over the wireless link with a selected cellular base station.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellular access point allows access from at least one user device over a second wireless link.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cellular access point allows access from at least one user device over a WiFi link.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cellular access point allows access from at least one user device over a WiMax link.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellular access point allows access from at least one user device over a wired local area network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising automatically selecting said cellular base station.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , comprising automatically selecting said cellular base station as the cellular base station providing the highest available data rate over its respective wireless link.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising: sequentially determining an available data rate associated with each of a plurality of possible antenna beam directions; and selecting a beam direction for future use, based on said available data rates.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising: in an initial phase, operating the cellular access point such that the antenna has a plurality of preferred directions in turn; and for each of said preferred directions, determining an available data rate over a wireless link that can be established.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining an acceptable cellular base station further comprises forcing a two-way connection with a first cellular base station selected from the plurality of cellular base stations based on requirements of the cellular access point.

11. An access point in electrical communication with a cellular network, the access point comprising:

a first access interface, that provides access from at least one user device communicating with the cellular;

radio frequency transceiver circuitry to determine (a) a set of acceptable cellular base stations by establishing a connection with at least one cellular base station among a plurality of cellular base stations, for a first protocol of operation, and (b) to determine an available data rate of the connection in a first protocol of operation for each cellular base station where a connection is established, the radio frequency transceiver circuitry repeating operations described in operations (a) and (b) for another protocol of operation in response to the cellular network and the cellular access point jointly supporting more than one protocol of operation; and

base station control circuitry, to select the cellular base station based on a metric that takes into account data rates available over the wireless links corresponding to the plurality of cellular base stations;

radio frequency transceiver circuitry that communicates over a wireless link with a cellular base station selected from a plurality of available cellular base stations;

an antenna, having an adjustable preferred direction for transmission and reception of radio frequency signals; and

beam direction control circuitry, that selects preferred direction for the antenna such that the cellular access point can establish a wireless link with one of the cellular base stations, based on a data rate that is available over the wireless link,

wherein the radio frequency transceiver circuitry repeats each of operation (a) including the determining a set of acceptable cellular base stations and operation (b) including the determining available data rate of the connection for another protocol of operation in response to the cellular network and the cellular access point jointly supporting more than one protocol of operation, and wherein the operations of the radio frequency circuitry and the base station control circuitry are periodically repeated during operation.

12. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the antenna has a plurality of antenna elements; and the beam direction control circuitry, includes variable amplitude adjustment devices in each of a plurality of signal paths associated with said antenna elements.

13. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said base station control circuitry determines data rates available over wireless links with one or more of said plurality of available cellular base stations by controlling said beam direction control circuitry to adjust a direction of a beam of said antenna, and successively determine data rates available over wireless links at said beam directions.

14. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said cellular access point is configured to automatically selects a beam direction of said antenna, in order to obtain a wireless link with one of said plurality of available cellular base stations, having an acceptable data rate.

15. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said cellular access point is further configured to automatically select a second beam direction of said antenna, in order to obtain a reserve wireless link with another of said plurality of available cellular base stations.

16. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 11 , comprising: an antenna, having a plurality of antenna elements; and the beam direction control circuitry switches respective antenna elements into and out of a plurality of signal paths associated with said antenna elements.

17. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 16 , wherein at least two of said antenna elements can be switched into the respective signal paths at the same time, while at least one other antenna element is switched out of the respective signal path.

18. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first access interface accesses from a user device to make a VoIP phone call.

19. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 11 , having a solar power source.

20. A cellular access point as claimed in claim 11 , having a wind power source.