Communications network

This invention relates to telecommunications networks and in particular to methods and apparatus for the transmission of traffic to a desired destination. A communication network with a set of nodes each arranged to extract signals received on orthogonal input paths when there is a predetermined correlation between them, and to retransmit the signals on orthogonal output paths when the predetermined correlation is absent. Each node is further arranged to launch signals intended for a particular destination node on orthogonal paths with a phase difference such that the signals arrive at the destination node with the predetermined correlation. Thus local processing of the signals is sufficient to extract a signal intended for a particular node. There is no need for centralized control or for the separate transmission of signaling data.