Single frequency network using Ethernet multicast

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory comprising computer program code; and

at least one processor;

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive a message at an access point in a single frequency network from a network entity through a data switch, wherein the message comprises an indication of at least one of a downlink physical channel or an uplink physical channel;

perform physical layer functions at the at least one access point, while data link layer functions are performed by the network entity;

transmit a request for a signal characteristic through the downlink physical channel to a user equipment;

receive the signal characteristic through the uplink physical channel from the user equipment; and

transmit a response message through the data switch from the access point to the network entity indicating the signal characteristic.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the message received from the network entity is a multicast message.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data switch is used for multicast broadcasting of the message.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data switch comprises a general purpose data switch.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the response message transmitted from the access point to the network entity is a unicast message.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

perform physical layer functions and data link functions at the at least one access point.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data switch comprises an Ethernet switch.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein synchronization in the single frequency network comprises a local synchronization source or a network synchronization source.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive an advertisement associated with an area of the single frequency network; and

join a multicast group based on the received advertisement.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the area of the single frequency network may be predetermined and added to the at least one access point.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

dynamically select the multicast group at the at least one access point based on the advertisement.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive from the network entity an assignment for which user equipment the at least one access point will serve.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

send the assignment to a non-single frequency network secondary component carrier.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one uplink channel is at least one of a random-access channel, a sounding response signal channel, a physical uplink control channel, or a physical uplink shared channel.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one downlink channel is at least one of a physical control format indicator channel, a physical multicast channel, a physical hybrid automatic repeat request indicator channel, a physical downlink control channel, or a physical downlink shared channel.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory comprising computer program code; and

at least one processor;

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

transmit a message from a network entity to an access point in a single frequency network through a data switch, wherein the message comprises an indication of at least one of a downlink physical channel or an uplink physical channel;

perform physical layer functions at the at least one access point, while data link layer functions are performed by the network entity;

receive a response message from the access point through the data switch indicating a signal characteristic; and

select a user equipment to be served by the at least one access point based on the signal characteristic.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the message transmitted from the network entity to the access point is a multicast message.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the network entity comprises a selection function that helps in selection of the user equipment to be served by the at least one access point.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

perform physical layer functions and data link functions at the at least one access point.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein another network entity is connected to the network entity, wherein the another network entity helps the network entity perform the data link layer functions.

21. A method comprises:

receiving a message at an access point in a single frequency network from a network entity through a data switch, wherein the message comprises an indication of at least of a downlink physical channel- or an uplink physical channel;

performing physical layer functions at the at least one access point, while data link layer functions are performed by the network entity;

transmitting a request for a signal characteristic through the downlink physical channel to a user equipment;

receiving the signal characteristic through the uplink physical channel from the user equipment; and

transmitting a response message through the data switch from the access point to the network entity indicating the signal characteristic.

22. A method comprising:

receiving at an access point an advertisement comprising area information for at least one single frequency network;

determining a uniform resource locator based on the advertisement and a preconfigured area identification stored in the access point;

dynamically selecting a multicast group to join using the uniform resource locator;

receiving a message at the access point in a single frequency network from a network entity through a data switch as part of the selected multicast group; and

performing physical layer functions at the at least one access point, while data link layer functions are performed by the network entity.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the preconfigured area identification is set by a user or installer of the access point.