Methods, apparatus, and business techniques are disclosed for use in distributed
communication systems comprising a plurality of communication protocols. In one
embodiment a first air interface is used to initiate communication between a wireless
client and a remote server at least partially using a first wireless access point.
The server sends the wireless client a stub of a distributed object. The stub is
used to instantiate an object class. The object class defines an interface that
the remote client can use to communicate with the remote server using an upper
layer interface. The distributed object stub also provides an implementation of
a software radio configuration for a set of lower protocol layers in a second air
interface. The wireless client can thereby communicate with a second wireless access
point using said second air interface protocol. Exemplary embodiments of the present
invention are disclosed that focus on toll-tag and electronic-commerce related
highway systems, distributed federated wireless access systems, and wide area wireless
system capacity augmentation.