Conditioning removal of an overlay carrier frequency from a cellular wireless coverage system

A method of conditioning removal of an overlay carrier frequency from at least a given wireless coverage area among a group of wireless coverage areas in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

• predicting a change in rate of inbound hard handoffs that would result from soft handoffs to the given wireless coverage area becoming hard handoffs if the overlay carrier frequency is removed from the given wireless coverage area;
• predicting a change in rate of outbound hard handoffs that would result from hard handoffs from the given wireless coverage area becoming soft handoffs if the overlay carrier frequency is removed from the given wireless coverage area;
• combining the predicted changes in rates of inbound hard handoffs and outbound hard handoffs to compute a predicted net increase in rate of hard handoffs that would result if the overlay carrier frequency is removed from the given wireless coverage area;
• and
• removing the overlay carrier frequency from the given wireless coverage area only if the predicted net increase of hard handoffs is less than a threshold.

A system comprising:

• a wireless communication system defining at least one power amplifier and at least one antenna radiating to define a wireless coverage area on at least a base carrier frequency and an overlay carrier frequency;
• and
• a computer processor operating to carry out functions including (i) predicting a change in rate of inbound hard handoffs that would result from soft handoffs to the wireless coverage area becoming hard handoffs if the overlay carrier frequency is removed from the wireless coverage area, (ii) predicting a change in rate of outbound hard handoffs that would result from hard handoffs from the wireless coverage area becoming soft handoffs if the overlay carrier frequency is removed from the wireless coverage area, and (iii) combining the predicted changes in rates of inbound hard handoffs and outbound hard handoffs to compute a predicted net increase in rate of hard handoffs that would result if the overlay carrier frequency is removed from the wireless coverage area,
• wherein the overlay carrier frequency is removed from the wireless coverage area if the predicted net increase is less than a threshold, but the wireless coverage area maintains operation on the overlay carrier frequency if the predicted net increase is greater than the threshold.