Load balancing in WCDMA systems by adjusting pilot power

Abstract

This paper investigates the load balancing technique that relieves the excessive load of hot-spot cells by coordinating the transmission powers of the pilot channels in WCDMA systems. A theoretical analysis is undertaken based on the mechanisms behind the load balancing technique. In addition the reasons behind the capacity gain and loss as a result of tuning of pilot power are studied. Then this paper proposes the metrics (key performance indicators) for studying the load balancing. A dynamic WCDMA simulator is utilized to investigate the effectiveness of this metrics and also the impact of power adjustment of common pilot channel (CPICH) on the whole WCDMA network performance. The dynamic simulation results show that this load balancing technique by adjusting CPICH power reduces the average base station power, improves the network stability and call qualities.