| CPC H04W 24/02 (2013.01) [H04W 84/18 (2013.01)] | 11 Claims |
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1. A method for managing a cellular communication system, wherein the cellular communication system comprises a plurality of cell sites each one associated with a plurality of cells, each cell identifying a respective radio coverage geographic area, and wherein each cell site comprises a cellular communication equipment associated with the plurality of cells of said cell site, the method comprising:
determining, among said plurality of cell sites, a candidate cell site to be at least partially deactivated, said candidate cell site being a cell site associated with at least one candidate cell to be deactivated, wherein the at least one candidate cell comprises at least one cell of the plurality of cells associated with the candidate cell site with a load factor below a threshold load factor;
selecting, among the plurality of cells associated with the plurality of cell sites other than the candidate cell site, replacement cells to replace the at least one candidate cell upon deactivation thereof, the replacement cells being adjacent to the at least one candidate cell;
determining a target geographic area, the target geographic area enclosing at least the radio coverage geographic areas identified by the at least one candidate cell and the radio coverage geographic areas identified by the replacement cells;
estimating at least one radio transmission parameter in the target geographic area as a function of a cell configuration of each cellular communication equipment associated with the replacement cells based on a simulation of at least partial deactivation of the candidate cell site and at least one replacement cell configuration in the target geographic area;
selecting respective replacement cell configurations based on said estimated at least one radio transmission parameter for the cellular communication equipment associated with the adjacent replacement cells;
setting each cellular communication equipment associated with the adjacent replacement cells at the respective replacement cell configuration;
monitoring, with the at least one candidate cell, said at least one radio transmission parameter in the target geographic area; and
if the monitored at least one radio transmission parameter approaches at least by a predefined amount the estimated at least one radio transmission parameter for the respective replacement cell configurations, deactivating at least partially the candidate cell site by deactivating the at least one candidate cell of said candidate cell site.
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