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.