The baseband unit 110 may be configured to process the demodulated signals received from the RRU 104 into a format suitable for transmission over a backhaul communication system of a telecommunications network. The baseband unit 110 may also process signals received from the backhaul communication system and supplies the processed signals to the RRU 104 for modulation into RF signals.

In one example, the RRU 104 may be located at the top of the tower 108 to reduce the signal loss between the RRU 104 and the one or more RF antennas 106. For example, if the RRU 104 were located at the bottom of the tower 108, a cable 112 must extend up the tower to the one or more RF antennas 106, a distance of 100 to 200 feet or more, causing appreciable signal loss in transmission signals at cellular frequencies (e.g. 1.8 GHz 3.0 GHz, etc.) over the cable 112. The signal loss may be somewhat mitigated by locating the RRU 104 at the top of the tower 108 near the one or more RF antennas 106, which reduces the required length of the cable 112.

In some examples, the baseband unit 110 may be located at the bottom of the tower 108. Note that signal loss in the cabling connection between the baseband unit 110 at the bottom of the tower 108 and the RRU 104 at the top of the tower 108 may be much smaller, as compared to the signal loss associated with locating the RRU 104 at the bottom of the tower 108, because these signals between the baseband unit 110 and the RRU 104 are transmitted at baseband frequencies as opposed to RF frequencies.