Local packing-distributed dynamic channel allocation at cellular base station

The local packing (LP) algorithm, a base station distributed dynamic channel allocation (DDCA) adapting to local traffic demands, is presented. The authors show that, unlike some other DCA algorithms, even when the network has a large number of channel, it maintains a favorable performance over FCA under uniform traffic in the region of interest. More importantly, the LP algorithm has a tremendous capability of alleviating congestion at traffic hot spots. For example, with 420 channels in the network, at a blocking requirement of 1%, in comparison to only 47 Erlangs per cell that FCA could support, the LP DDCA can accommodate 100 Erlangs per cell in isolated hot spot cells and 75 Erlangs per cell in contiguous expressway hot spots. This is achieved without decreasing the load anywhere else from the normal 47 Erlangs per cell. This algorithm can be implemented, distributedly at the base stations with a simple augmented channel occupancy table, or centrally at the mobile switching center. The authors outline an easy evolutional path, for AT&T Autoplex Series II cellsites, from the current wireless network architecture to one that incorporates the new DDCA. Alternatively, one can implement it centrally without the need of a distributed database. The computation complexity of this algorithm is low and independent of the network size