Abstract: In a cellular communications system having a plurality of cells, each cell being served by at least one of a plurality of existing base stations, a method of determining a location for a new micro base station antenna involves first providing a test antenna at a test location in one of the cells. Then, for a predetermined time period, a monitoring procedure is performed to assess how many mobile stations are close enough to the test location that they would be served by a micro cell having a base transceiver antenna at the test location. The monitoring procedure involves, in the test antenna, receiving an uplink access attempt signal that is transmitted from a mobile station to an intended one of the existing base stations. Then, signal strength of the received uplink access attempt signal is measured and compared to a predetermined threshold level. If the measured signal strength is greater than the predetermined threshold level, then a count value is incremented.

Abstract: In a radio communications system having at least one base station, the base station including a plurality of transceivers, a control method and apparatus includes the steps of comparing the number of transceivers in a call state to a first predefined number. If the number of call state transceivers is greater than the first predefined number, then all of the idle transceivers except at least one are switched off. If the number of call state transceivers is less than the first predefined number, then all excess idle transceivers are switched off. Also, after switching off the first subset of the plurality of transceivers, a second subset may be switched off after waiting a predetermined time period. The number of operational transceivers in the second subset is less than in the first subset.