A system for allowing bilateral cochlear implant systems to be networked together. An adapter module that forms part of the system allows two standalone BTE units to be synchronized both temporally and tonotopically in order to maximize a patients listening experience. The system further allows a peer-to-peer network and protocol that includes two BTE units during normal operation, or two BTE units plus a host controller (PC, PDA, etc. . . . ) during fitting. The bilateral cochlear network includes four main components: (a) a communications interposer adapted to be inserted between the BTE battery and the BTE housing or modified BTE devices; (b) a communication channel over which communication takes place between the connected devices, including the protocol governing access to such channel; (c) the synchronization mechanisms used to achieve synchronization between the connected devices; and (d) a bilateral fitting paradigm.