Apparatus and method for load balancing

An apparatus capable of operating and balancing traffic load in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

• a transceiver configured to exchange data with each of a plurality of users via an associated communication link established using an overloaded carrier;
• and
• a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to:
• calculate a load metric for each of the plurality of users comprising a plurality of metric factors related at least to the associated communication link;
• determine a transfer-deserving user from the plurality of users, the transfer-deserving user being associated with a highest value of an associated calculated load metric;
• and
• transfer the associated communication link of the transfer-deserving user from the overloaded carrier to a target carrier, wherein the target carrier is associated with either said apparatus or another wireless apparatus of the wireless network.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable code physically embodied thereon which, when executed by a processor arranged in a first base station apparatus capable of operating in a wireless network, causes the processor to carry out the operations of:

• calculating a load metric for each of a plurality of users, wherein each of the plurality of users, in operation, are in communication with the first base station using an overloaded carrier associated with the first base station, and wherein the load metric for each of the plurality of users comprises a plurality of metric factors related at least to an associated communication link;
• determining a transfer-deserving user from the plurality of users, the transfer-deserving user being associated with a highest value of an associated calculated load metric;
• and
• transferring the associated communication link of the transfer-deserving user from the overloaded carrier to a target carrier, wherein the target carrier is associated with either the first base station or a second base station.