Suppression of carrier-aggregation service by first access node in response to backhaul contstraint of second access node

A wireless communication system configured to control carrier aggregation, the wireless communication system comprising:

• a first access node disposed at a cell site and configured to provide first coverage in which to serve first user equipment devices (UEs) with standalone connectivity with respect to the first access node, wherein the first access node has a first respective backhaul connection;
• and
• a second access node disposed at the cell site and configured to provide second coverage in which to serve second UEs with dual connectivity with respect to the first access node and the second access node, wherein the second access node has a second respective backhaul connection,
• wherein the first access node is configured to respond to at least detected threshold high backhaul load on the second respective backhaul connection of the second access node by suppressing an extent of carrier aggregation that the first access node provides to the first UEs having connectivity with the first access node.

A first access node operable in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system further including a second access node, the first access node being configured to provide first coverage and having a first respective backhaul connection, and the second access node being configured to provide second coverage and having a second respective backhaul connection, the first access node comprising:

• a wireless communication interface;
• a network communication interface;
• at least one processor;
• non-transitory data storage;
• and
• program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the at least one processor to carry out operations for controlling carrier-aggregation, the operations comprising:
• determining that a first set of user equipment devices (UEs) have standalone connectivity and are connected to the first access node and that a second set of UEs have dual connectivity and are connected to both the first access node and the second access node,
• detecting that the second respective backhaul connection of the second access node is threshold heavily loaded, and
• based at least on the detecting, causing the first access node to suppress an extent of carrier-aggregation service that the first access node provides to the first set of UEs that have the standalone connectivity.