Operation and performance of a self-organizing frequency assignment method for TDMA portable radio

A simple autonomous procedure performed by each radio port (base station) to determine its own transmitting frequency in a TDMA (time-division multiple-access) portable radio system is considered. This assignment procedure results in the improvement of frequency reuse while maintaining signal quality by adapting to the propagation conditions. The author discusses operational considerations and presents performance results of this self-organizing frequency assignment method. It is found that this assignment algorithm is robust against short-term signal fluctuations and can be performed completely autonomously by each radio port. The resulting system performance approaches that of the optimal frequency plan, which can be predetermined only for idealized cases such as a regular-grid port configuration in a statistically homogeneous radio-propagation environment