Measurement-based band allocation in multiband CDMA

Multiband code division multiple access (sometimes called multicarrier CDMA) is a promising approach to increasing the capacity of CDMA networks, while maintaining compatibility with existing systems. This paper investigates a family of algorithms for allocating new calls to bands based on measured path gains, or alternatively, on estimates of the users´ positions. By separating strong and weak users into separate bands, this approach reduces the other-cell interference on the uplink. This is shown to reduce the number of calls in soft handoff, which reduces the hardware requirements at the base stations. Under a range of conditions, it also provides significantly lower outage than alternative algorithms. An additional benefit of this approach is a reduction in the dynamic range required for uplink power control.