A reconfigurable architecture for wireless digital data and voice communications is provided for ad hoc and/or an ad hoc collection of organized networks. At least some user wireless communication units serve as relay stations for other users units, enabling any user within the range of another, participating user to gain access to the local- and wider-area networks in a multihop process. Reconfigurable hardware enables dynamic protocol "preferencing", and easy upgrades to potential future wireless protocol standards. Power-efficient communication takes place by using multihop radio communication at the local level and high-speed point-to-point links (e.g. fiber, satellite) at the global level. Microcells within a network community are aggregated into cells by use of a local-area-network (LAN) backbone of higher speed wireless and/or wired connections. Every time a microcell connects to the wireless backbone, microcells or individual users in surrounding blocks can also connect to the network.