Load balancing in wireless networks

A load balancing system for a wireless network in which wireless resources associated with base stations are made available to mobile stations, the system comprising:

• a base station parameter extraction unit able to extract base station availability parameters of currently available base stations;
• a base station interference estimator associated with said base station parameter extraction unit configured to estimate from said parameters a level of interference with neighboring base stations and mobile stations of a link between a given mobile station and a given base station;
• and
• a selector configured to select one of said currently available base stations for provision of wireless resources to said given mobile station, based on a respective estimated interference.

A load balancing method for a wireless network in which wireless resources associated with base stations are made available to mobile stations with particular quality of service requirements, the method comprising:

• extracting base station availability parameters of currently available base stations;
• determining from said parameters which of said available base stations is able to provide a currently required quality of service;
• and
• requesting resources from one such available and able base station, thereby to ensure that mobile stations are distributed in a balanced manner between available base stations.

A load balancing method for a wireless network in which wireless resources associated with base stations are made available to mobile stations with particular quality of service requirements, the method comprising:

• extracting base station availability parameters of currently available base stations;
• determining from said parameters interference levels involved with links between a given mobile station and each of said available base stations, interference being with other mobile stations and with surrounding base stations;
• and
• selecting one of said base stations for requesting of resources in such a way as to minimize said interference levels.