UMTS optimum cell load balancing for inhomogeneous traffic patterns

The paper addresses the problem of adjusting simultaneously the electrical downtilt of base station antennas and the transmitted power assigned to common pilot channel (CPICH) signals in the framework of a UTRA-FDD system. The proposed optimization procedure is not based on an isolated cell by cell analysis, but on a global scenario by means of simulated annealing. Results show the convergence of the algorithm towards configurations that imply optimal system performance. Interference levels are minimized, effective cell load is reduced and therefore capacity can be increased.