A first layer one link aggregation master comprises a first port coupled to receive customer traffic; a first channel; a second channel; an aggregation engine coupled to the first and second channels; a first switch circuit coupled to the first port and to the first channel, and configured to communicate the customer traffic from the first port over the first channel to the aggregation engine, the aggregation engine including a splitter circuit configured to use layer one information to segment at least a portion of the customer traffic into a first virtual container and a second virtual container, the aggregation engine further including an encapsulation circuit configured to encapsulate the second virtual container using Ethernet standards for transport over the second channel; a radio access card configured to generate an air frame based on the first virtual container for wireless transmission over a first wireless link of a link aggregation group to the receiver; and a second switch circuit coupled to the second channel, and configured to communicate the Ethernet-encapsulated second virtual container over an Ethernet cable to a slave for wireless transmission over a second wireless link of the link aggregation group to the receiver.