Abstract: In a cellular communication system, a method and apparatus are provided for allocating a channel for use on a connection between a base station and a mobile station in a cell, without making measurements of downlink interference. Throughout the system, uplink and downlink power levels are regulated so that, within each cell, their sum changes by an amount whose magnitude is substantially equal to the magnitude of change in path gain between the mobile station and the base station in that cell, and which sum is opposite in sign to the amount of change in path gain. This power regulation scheme assures that there will be a strong correlation between system-wide measurements of uplink and downlink interference. Therefore, with the power regulation scheme in place, each cell determines uplink carrier to interference (C/I) ratios for the free channels available for use in the cell and selects an acceptable free channel having a C/I value that is within a predetermined acceptable range.

Abstract: A method for optimizing the use of channels, the changing of channels and handover procedures in a mobile telecommunications system for instance, wherein parameters belonging to the mobile telecommunications system generate the load values for the connections via different channels/base stations between subscribers in a public telephone network and mobile stations in the mobile telecommunications systems. Different kinds of parameters can be compared directly by means of the load values which are combined to provide a total load value for each connection. A first total load value is generated for a connection set-up between one of the subscribers and one of the mobile stations. The total load values for the connection are estimated for alternative channels/base stations and these total load values are compared with the first total load value. The system changes to the channel/base station that has the most favorable load value, on the basis of the comparison.