Use of uplink transmission power from distant devices as basis to control service

A base station configured to control service of user equipment devices (UEs), the base station comprising:

• a wireless communication interface, including an antenna structure and transceiver, configured to provide a coverage area defining an air interface having a downlink and an uplink;
• a processing unit;
• data storage;
• and
• program instructions stored in the data storage and executable by the processing unit to cause the base station to carry out operations comprising:
• detecting that noise on the uplink is threshold high and that a plurality of UEs being served by the base station are each located at least a predefined threshold distance from the base station, and
• responsive to at least the detecting, (i) selecting at least one of the UEs of the plurality to be handed over from the base station, wherein the selecting of the UE is based on the UE having highest uplink transmission power of the plurality of UEs that are each located at least the predefined threshold distance from the base station, and (ii) causing the selected UE to be handed over from the base station.

A method of controlling service in a wireless communication system in which a base station provides a coverage area defining an air interface having a downlink and an uplink, the method comprising:

• serving by the base station a plurality of user equipment devices (UEs) in the coverage area;
• while serving the plurality of UEs in the coverage area, detecting by the base station a trigger for UE-handover;
• and
• responsive to at least detecting the trigger, (i) selecting by the base station at least one of the UEs of the plurality to be handed over from the base station, wherein the selecting is based on the selected UE having a highest uplink transmission power of the UEs of the plurality and being located at least a threshold distance from the base station, and (ii) causing by the base station the selected UE to be handed over from the base station.