Abstract: A mobile assisted handoff (MAHO) signal strength measurement is ordered by the cellular telephone system for not only the currently used traffic channel and the reference (control) channels of neighboring cells, but also for the reference (control) channel of the current cell. These MAHO measurements are reported to the system where a compensation factor is determined which accounts for the use of different modulation schemes and or hyperbands by system traffic and control channels. The compensation factor is calculated by subtracting the MAHO measurement made on the reference channel of the current cell from the MAHO measurement made on the traffic channel of the current cell. The calculated compensation factor is then added to each of the MAHO measurements made on the reference channels for each of the neighboring cells to generate compensated signal strength measurements.

Abstract: A system and method implements a backup digital control channel (DCCH) within a base station in a telecommunications network without relying on backup auto-tuners. When a DCCH fails, a backup DCCH is created by reconfiguring an available time slot in a different transmitter in the associated base station. All neighboring cells and neighboring outer cells are notified of the creation of the backup DCCH in the cell serviced by the base station, and update themselves accordingly.

Abstract: A local control mechanism for automatically parking an active combiner filter and activating an alternate combiner filter in an auto-tune combiner in a radio telecommunications network is resident entirely at a remote base station. The mechanism samples the radio frequency (RF) energy level on the active combiner filter in an auto-tune combiner and determines whether the measured RF energy level exceeds a predetermined RF energy threshold. The mechanism then determines the number of RF energy samples taken, compares this number to a trigger number, and parks the active combiner filter and switches to an alternate combiner filter when the number of consecutive RF energy samples below the RF energy threshold exceeds the trigger number.