3.2.

3 Ranking Recalculations

The cell load sharing evaluation is performed after the normal locating evaluation of the
neighbouring cells. This means that new ranking calculations, apart from the normal
locating evaluations, are performed for all the connections having the number of idle
traffic channels in a cell below parameter CLSLEVEL . It is repeated for every
measurement period as long as the traffic load in the cell is below parameter CLSLEVEL
. In the recalculations, reduced hysteresis values (for the different hysteresis
parameters) are used. If a neighbouring cell becomes better ranked than the serving cell
for any of the connections as a result of this new cell ranking, a Cell Load Sharing
handover is requested for that connection. This implies that only neighbouring cells
ranked worse than the serving cell by the normal locating evaluation can be considered
for Cell Load Sharing handovers. A regular inter-cell handover will still be performed if
the normal locating evaluation indicates a better ranked neighbouring cell for a
connection.

The locating recalculations due to Cell Load Sharing are done with a linear ramping down
of the hysteresis with a percentage that is given by parameter RHYST . The ramping
down is performed during a time defined by parameter CLSRAMP , or until the number
of idle traffic channels increases above CLSLEVEL . The actual hysteresis h used at each
time is given by:

Figure 1 Hysteresis reduction due to Cell Load Sharing

where:

h is the hysteresis used in locating,

H is KHYST , TRHYST , LHYST , HIHYST or LOHYST , and

t 0 is the starting time of the load sharing, i.e. the time when the load rises
above CLSLEVEL .

In equation (1) t runs from t 0 to t 0 + CLSRAMP . After t 0 + CLSRAMP , the hysteresis

remain at their reduced values for the Cell Load Sharing recalculations until the number
of idle traffic channels increases above CLSLEVEL . The recalculations are then omitted.

In Table 1 and Figure 2 examples of the effect of different settings of parameter RHYST
are given:

Table 1 Effects of Hysteresis Reduction

RHYST hysteresis reduction

0 % no reduction of the hysteresis area (h=H in equation (1) above)

50 % 50% of the hysteresis area is removed, cell border reduced to nominal cell
border (h=0 in equation (1) above)
 100% all the hysteresis area is removed (h=-H in equation (1) above)

Figure 2 Actual Cell Border After Hysteresis Reduction

The purpose of ramping down the hysteresis is twofold:

 the mobiles closest to the handover border are selected first,

 the mobiles selected for handover are few at a time; too many Cell Load Sharing
handovers at the same time might otherwise cause instabilities.

Certain additional conditions must be fulfilled for a Cell Load Sharing handover to take
place:

 Locating conditions:
o Cell Load Sharing handover is not allowed during the assignment
procedure,
o Cell Load Sharing handover is not allowed if there is an urgency condition,
see Reference [3].

Conditions for the Neighbouring Cell:

o the neighbouring cell must belong to the same BSC as the serving cell,
o the neighbouring cell must belong to the same hierarchical layer (see
Reference [2]) as the serving cell,
o incoming Cell Load Sharing handover must be allowed (parameter
HOCLSACC ) for the neighbouring cell. Note that Cell load Sharing can still
be set to inactive in the neighbouring cell if Cell Load Sharing evaluations
in that cell are to be avoided.