Method for enhancing the handover of a mobile station and base station for carrying out the method

A method for enhancing the handover of a mobile station (20-23) from a serving base station (1) of a cellular network to a new base station, said new base station being selected among a neighbor list including neighboring base stations, the radio coverage cell (r2-r8) of which overlaps the radio coverage cell (r1) of said serving base station (1), said method comprising the steps of:

• Determining at the serving base station (1), the location of said mobile station (20-23) within the radio coverage cell (r1) of said serving base station (1) and
• Transmitting to said mobile station (20-23) a reduced neighbor list based on said location,
• wherein, said step of determining the location of said mobile station (20-23) comprises the sub-steps of:
• partitioning the radio coverage cell (r1) of said serving base station (1) in a plurality of sectors (s1s3;
• s1s6);
• and
• determining a current sector (s1-s3;
• s1-s6) in which said mobile station (20-23) is located among said plurality of sectors (s1-s3;
• s1-s6);
• and in that said reduced neighbor list includes only the neighboring base stations the radio coverage cell (r2-r8) of which overlaps said current sector (s1-s3;
• s1-s6).