System and method to facilitate radio access point load prediction in a network environment

One or more non-transitory tangible media encoding logic that includes instructions for execution that when executed by a processor, is operable to perform operations comprising:

• calculating predicted load changes for a target radio access point for one or more potential user equipment (UE) handovers from each of a plurality of source radio access points for a radio access network based, at least in part, on application of current measurement data to a trained statistical model representing load changes for the radio access network;
• determining a set of one or more source radio access points that can be powered off to maximize energy savings or minimize energy consumption for the radio access network;
• initiating handover to the target radio access point for one or more UE connected to the one or more source radio access points belonging to the set;
• and
• powering off the one or more source radio access points belonging to the set.

A communication system comprising:

• a data analytic engine comprising at least one first memory element for storing first data and at least one first processor that executes instructions associated with the first data;
• a central management system comprising at least one second memory element for storing second data and at least one second processor that executes instructions associated with the second data;
• the data analytic engine being adapted when executed by the at least one first processor to:
• calculate predicted load changes for a target radio access point for one or more potential user equipment (UE) handovers from each of a plurality of source radio access points for a radio access network based, at least in part, on application of current measurement data to a trained statistical model representing load changes for the radio access network;
• and
• determine a set of one or more source radio access points that can be powered off to maximize energy savings or minimize energy consumption for the radio access network;
• the central management system being adapted when executed by the at least one second processor to:
• initiate handover to the target radio access point for one or more UE connected to the one or more source radio access points belonging to the set;
• and
• power off the one or more source radio access points belonging to the set.