Method, System and Device for Inter-Frequency Load Balancing in a Mobile Telecommunications Network

A method for load balancing between cells in a communications network that comprises a first cell controlled by a first radio base station and a second cell controlled by a second radio base station and at least partly overlapping the first cell, said method being carried out by the second radio base station and comprising:

• receiving a request from the first radio base station to respond with a perceived performance value for the second cell for each of one or more user equipments (UEs) previously relocated to the second cell from the first cell;
• calculating a perceived performance value for the second cell for each of the one or more UEs, based on measured radio signal qualities reported by the one or more UEs;
• and
• providing, to the first radio base station, the calculated perceived performance values for each of the one or more relocated UE, for use by the first base station in updating a performance mapping function for the second cell.

A first radio base station, for use in a cellular communication network system, the first radio base station comprising:

• interface circuitry configured to communicatively connect to other network entities;
• and
• processing circuitry associated with the interface circuitry and configured to:
• select one or more user equipments (UEs) for relocation from a first cell served by the first radio base station to an at least partly overlapping second cell served by a second radio base station, based on an estimated performance value for the second cell for each of the one or more selected UEs, the estimated performance value for the second cell for each of the one or more selected UEs being based on radio signal qualities for the second cell reported by the respective UE and on a performance mapping function for the second cell;
• initialize a relocation of the one or more selected UEs from the first cell to the second cell;
• receive, from the second base station, after said relocation of the one or more selected UEs from the first cell to the second cell, perceived performance reports for the second cell for each of one or more of the one or more selected UEs;
• and
• update the performance mapping function for the second cell, based on the perceived performance reports.

A second radio base station, for use in a cellular communication network system, the second radio base station comprising:

• interface circuitry configured to communicatively connect to other network entities;
• processing circuitry associated with the interface circuitry and configured to:
• receive, from a first radio base station serving a first cell at least partly overlapping a second cell served by the second base station, a request to respond with a perceived performance value for the second cell for each of one or more user equipments (UEs) previously relocated to the second cell from the first cell;
• calculate a perceived performance value for the second cell for each of the one or more UEs, based on measured radio signal qualities reported by the one or more UEs;
• and
• provide, to the first radio base station, the calculated perceived performance values for each of the one or more relocated UE, for use by the first base station in updating a performance mapping function for the second cell.