Telecommunications network

A method of controlling a cellular telecommunications network using macro-diversity, wherein a mobile station can establish a plurality of radio links with cells in the network, and

• wherein the cells of the network are considered in groups,
• the method comprising determining whether to establish a new radio link between a mobile station and a new cell by applying a quality criterion to the new link, which depends on whether the new cell belongs to any group with which the mobile station does not already have a link.

A mobile cellular telecommunications network using macro-diversity,

• wherein a mobile station can establish a plurality of radio links with cells in the network, the cells with which the mobile station has established radio links being defined as an active set,
• wherein the cells of the network are considered in groups,
• and wherein the network determines whether to establish a new radio link between a mobile station and a new cell, by determining whether a quality value of the new radio link exceeds a threshold set at a difference level below a best cell in the active set, the size of the difference level depending on whether the new cell belongs to any group to which no member of the active set belongs.

A method of controlling a mobile cellular telecommunications network using macro-diversity,

• wherein a mobile station can establish a plurality of radio links with cells in the network, the cells with which the mobile station has established radio links being defined as an active set, and
• wherein the cells of the network are considered in groups,
• the method comprising determining whether to establish a new radio link between a mobile station and a new cell, by determining whether a quality value of the new radio link exceeds a threshold set at a difference level below a best cell in the active set, the size of the difference level depending on whether the new cell belongs to any group to which no member of the active set belongs.