Dynamic management of network-resource usage based on network loading

A system configured to manage usage of traffic-channel resources that results from a traffic channel assignment (TCA) process in an access network, the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• program logic stored in data storage and executable by the at least one processor to:
• determine a usage level of at least one network resource in a coverage area of the access network, wherein the system is configured to use the TCA process to assign a separate traffic channel in the coverage area to each of one or more access terminals, and each separately assigned traffic channel accounts for a respective amount of usage of at least a portion of the at least one traffic-channel resource,
• and wherein determining the usage level of the at least one traffic-channel resource in the coverage area comprises determining an amount of the at least one traffic-channel resource utilized as a result of the system having assigned one or more separate traffic channels in the coverage area;
• based at least in part on the determined usage level, update one or more TCA parameters for the TCA process, wherein the TCA process is configured for assigning respective traffic channels to one or more access terminals for establishing communication sessions in the coverage area, and wherein the one or more TCA parameters are updated so as to affect expected usage of the traffic-channel resource that results from the TCA process;
• and
• after the one or more TCA parameters are updated, cause a base station to carry out the TCA process according to the updated TCA parameters for at least a first access terminal.