Cellular communications network operation

A method

• reducing the downlink transmission power of the first base station, based upon the level of data traffic being communicated through the second base station, wherein the downlink transmission power of the first base station defines a coverage area for the first base station;
• receiving at least one uplink transmission from a mobile station at the second base station and identifying that the second base station can provide a communications service to the mobile station;
• instructing all mobile stations within the coverage area of the first base station to use a Random Access Channel associated with the first base station, in response to the step of increasing the downlink transmission power of the first base station;
• and
• wherein the second base station receives the at least one uplink transmission from a mobile station over the Random Access Channel associated with the first base station.

A cellular communications network, comprising:

• a first base station, arranged to provide a first communications coverage area defined by its downlink transmission power;
• a second base station, arranged to provide a second communications coverage area defined by its downlink transmission power;
• and
• a controller, arranged to cause a reduction in the downlink transmission power of the second base station and to cause an increase in the downlink transmission power of the first base station, based upon the level of data traffic being communicated through the second base station;
• and
• wherein the second base station is further configured to receive at least one uplink transmission from a mobile station and the controller is further configured to identify that the second base station can provide a communications service to the mobile station and, in response to the identification, enables the second base station to receive further uplink transmissions from the mobile station,
• wherein the second base station is further configured to communicate the at least one uplink transmission received from the mobile station at the second base station to the first base station,
• wherein the first base station is further configured to receive the at least one uplink transmission from the mobile station, and
• wherein the first base station is further configured to combine the at least one uplink transmission communicated from the second base station to the first base station and the at least one uplink transmission received at the first base station from the mobile station.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for operating a cellular communications network including a first base station and a second base station, the software comprising:

• executable code that reduces the downlink transmission power of the second base station and increases the downlink transmission power of the first base station, based upon the level of data traffic being communicated through the second base station;
• and
• executable code that receives at least one uplink transmission from a mobile station at the second base station and identifies that the second base station can provide a communications service to the mobile station;
• executable that communicates the at least one uplink transmission received from the mobile station at the second base station to the first base station;
• executable code that receives the at least one uplink transmission from the mobile station at the first base station;
• and
• executable code that combines, at the first base station, the at least one uplink transmission communicated from the second base station to the first base station and the at least one uplink transmission received at the first base station from the mobile station.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for operating a cellular communications network including a first base station and a second base station, the software comprising:

• executable code that reduces the downlink transmission power of the second base station and increasing the downlink transmission power of the first base station, based upon the level of data traffic being communicated through the second base station, wherein the downlink transmission power of the first base station defines a coverage area for the first base station;
• executable code that receives at least one uplink transmission from a mobile station at the second base station and identifying that the second base station can provide a communications service to the mobile station;
• executable code that instructs all mobile stations within the coverage area of the first base station to use a Random Access Channel associated with the first base station, in response to the step of increasing the downlink transmission power of the first base station;
• and
• wherein the second base station receives the initial uplink transmission from a mobile station over the Random Access Channel associated with the first base station.