Method for the determination of cell borders in cellular data communications systems

Apparatus for determining a cell border between first (A) and second (B) cells in a cellular communications system in which communications with mobile stations (1, 1H) can be effected at different effective transfer rates in dependence upon communication conditions with the mobile stations, and in which on-going communications with the mobile stations can be handed over from the first cell (A) to the second cell (B), the apparatus comprising

• means for storing information relating to the transfer rates of communications with mobile stations prior to cell handover of those communication from the first cell (A) to the second cell (B),
• means for storing information relating to transfer rates of the communications with mobile stations subsequent to the cell handover of the respective communications concerned from the first cell to the second cell (B),
• means for analyzing and processing the stored information, and in dependence thereupon determining the cell border between the first (A) and the second (B) cell such that, at communication handover, transfer rates before and after handover are more likely or most likely to be the same.