A distributed radio system is disclosed. Transmit and receive packets of data are transported over a relatively high-speed multiplexed network, which in one embodiment may be an Ethernet network. The distributed radio system comprises in one embodiment a centrally-located network-level processing unit connected via network connections to one or more intermediate-level processing units. The intermediate-level processing units may be distributed throughout the coverage area. The processing units perform digital signal processing, as well as higher level processing such as signal routing, speech transcoding and proper interfacing to external environments, such as a macrocellular environment. Radio elements are provided that are accurately timed or synchronized, such that the radio elements have their own time base to ensure proper transmission, even when unpredictable network delays occur.