Hybrid base station and RRH

1. A base station comprising:

a baseband processor;

a radio head, the radio head coupled to the baseband processor by way of a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) interface;

a switchable Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP+) port for switchable passthrough use of the base station as a remote radio head, thereby enabling dual base station and remote radio head functionality; and

an onboard Ethernet switch coupled to the baseband processor and the switchable SFP+ port,

wherein the CPRI interface is capable of being coupled to a remote baseband unit (BBU);

wherein the radio head is configured to use autodetect to determine when the SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet signal and an Ethernet backhaul connection is used, or when the SFP+ port is connected to a BBU;

wherein a CPRI control channel is routed to the onboard Ethernet switch to provide backhaul; and

wherein the radio head is configured to use both a first radio signal from an external BBU and a second radio signal from the baseband processor, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality simultaneously.

2. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station is a multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) base station.

3. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station includes local baseband capability and runs a multi-RAT architecture.

4. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station performs as a pure remote radio head and does not provide base station functionality.

5. The base station of claim 2 , wherein the base station can provide at least one of remote radio head functionality and base station functionality for each RAT.

6. The base station of claim 1 wherein autodetect comprises determining whether an SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch or the SFP+ port is connected to the remote baseband unit and is a CPRI connection.

7. A method for providing base station and Remote Radio Head (RRH) functionality in a base station, comprising:

providing a baseband processor;

providing a radio head, the radio head coupled to the baseband processor by way of a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) interface;

providing an onboard Ethernet switch coupled to the baseband processor and the switchable Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP+) port;

switching, under the control of a processor, between use of the provided baseband processor and use of an external baseband unit (BBU) for controlling the radio head, the external baseband unit used via the switchable SFP+ port, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality; and

determining when the SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch and an Ethernet backhaul connection is used, or when the SFP+ port is connected to a BBU;

wherein a CPRI control channel is routed to an onboard Ethernet switch to provide backhaul; and

wherein the radio head is configured to use both a first radio signal from an external BBU and a second radio signal from the baseband processor, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality simultaneously.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the base station is provided as a multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) base station.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the base station includes local baseband capability and runs a multi-RAT architecture.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the base station performing as a pure remote radio head and not providing base station functionality.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the base station providing at least one of remote radio head functionality and base station functionality for each RAT.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein autodetect comprises determining whether an SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch or the SFP+ port is connected to the remote baseband unit and is a CPRI connection.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for providing base station and Remote Radio Head (RRH) functionality in a base station, which, when executed, cause a base station to perform steps comprising:

switching, under the control of a processor, between use of a baseband processor and use of an external baseband unit (BBU) for controlling the radio head, the external baseband unit used via a switchable Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP+) port, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality,

wherein the base station includes a baseband processor and a radio head; and

wherein a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) interface is capable of being coupled to the remote baseband unit;

wherein autodetect is used to determine when the switchable SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch and an Ethernet backhaul connection is used, or when the switchable SFP+ port is connected to a BBU, wherein the CPRI control channel is routed to an onboard Ethernet switch to provide backhaul; and

wherein the radio head is configured to use both a first radio signal from an external BBU and a second radio signal from the baseband processor, thereby providing dual base station and remote radio head functionality simultaneously.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions wherein the base station is provisioned as a multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) base station.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the base station includes local baseband capability and runs a multi-RAT architecture.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions wherein the base station performs as a pure remote radio head and does not provide base station functionality.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein autodetect comprises determining whether an SFP+ port is connected to an Ethernet switch or the SFP+ port is connected to the remote baseband unit and is a CPRI connection.