Abstract: In a mobile cellular communication system, adjacent basestations BS1-BS4 are assigned different selections of different frequency channels to communicate with mobiles in their cells (10, etc.). To improve system quality and capacity, a basestation selects a frequency channel which is not assigned to it or any neighbour station, and makes test communications on that frequency channel with mobiles (e.g. MS1) in its cell. The basestation assesses the potential performance of that frequency channel, and neighbour basestations can monitor for potential interference on that frequency channel. The information so gathered can be analysed by an operations maintenance station OMC.

Abstract: A method for determining a handover for a mobile station in a multicellular communication system including the steps of measuring received signal parameters received from a serving cell and a plurality of neighboring cells, comparing received signal parameters with a variable threshold value for each of the plurality of neighbor cells, measuring the amount of time, or the number of times, the received signal parameters are above the threshold value for each of the plurality of neighbor cells, and determining handover based on the measurement.