Abstract: Systems, methods, and processing nodes for performing carrier aggregation in a wireless network include associating a primary usage type of an application running on a wireless device with a characteristic of a first carrier based on at least a first frequency band utilized by the first carrier, associating a secondary usage type of the application with a characteristic of a second carrier based on at least a second frequency band utilized by the second carrier, assigning the first carrier as a primary carrier for the wireless device when operating in a carrier aggregation mode, and assigning the second carrier as a secondary carrier for the wireless device when operating in the carrier aggregation mode.

Abstract: A relay wireless device is configured to function as a relay on behalf of a donor access node. The relay wireless device determines a preferred donor access node from among a plurality of candidate donor access nodes based on a comparison with a number of thresholds for reliable and efficient provision of services to end-user wireless devices via the relay wireless device. Any access node that meets the threshold requirements is added to a list of candidate donor access nodes. The candidate donor access node that best meets the thresholds may be selected as the preferred donor access node, and a connection request submitted to the preferred donor access node.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enabling adaptive per-antenna rate control based on network conditions for a wireless communication device (WCD). The WCD and a radio access network (RAN) may form a communication link that has multiple data streams, each data stream received by a different antenna of the WCD. Each data stream may have a different encoding, and thus a different data rate. Additionally, each encoding may have an associated signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) requirement to decode. The more complicated an encoding, the higher the data rate the encoding supports. However, more complicated encodings also need a higher SINR to decode. By first decoding a data stream with a low-complexity encoding, the data can be subtracted from a data stream having a more complicated encoding. Therefore, the SINR of the data stream having a more complicated encoding may be increased, and increase the likelihood of it being decodable.

Abstract: A method of improving mobile communication hard handoffs comprises receiving signal quality information for a first pilot signal of a first frequency, the first pilot signal being from a first cellular site and receiving signal quality information for a second pilot signal of the first frequency, the second pilot signal being from a second cellular site. The method further includes generating an output display that includes first predicted locations for hard handoffs from the first cellular site to the second cellular site. The output display is generated based on a parameter of a first value that is representative of a ratio between the strength of the second pilot signal relative to the combined strength of, at least, the second pilot signal and the first pilot signal. The method still further comprises modifying the parameter from the first value to a second value and regenerating the output display to include second predicted hard handoff locations.