The embodiments of the invention provide at least a method and apparatus to schedule an uplink communication from a user equipment of a plurality of user equipment; identify one or more candidate cells to support the uplink communication from the user equipment; send a request to the identified one or more candidate cells for requesting at least one of antenna data and pilot symbols from the one or more candidate cells for the uplink communication from the user equipment; and in response to the request, receive the uplink communication from the user equipment via a coordinated multi-point operation using at least in part a reception cells of the one or more candidate cells. Further, to receive, by one or more candidate cell, from a serving cell a request for at least one of antenna data and pilot symbols from the one or more candidate cells for a scheduled uplink communication from a user equipment to the serving cell; and in response to the request, provide the at least one of antenna data and pilot symbols for the uplink communication from a user equipment to the serving cell.