Resource allocation and network sharing between a multiple of 3G-service providers

摘要

A method for setting up a radio traffic channel in a 3G-network shared between at least two operators. The network's traffic channel resources are divided into operator specific parts, the parts not sharing any common traffic channels. User equipment is allocated channel resources in accordance with it's associated operator, according to a coarse level allocation control, which may be overridden in case no idle traffic channels are available. The allocated traffic channel is preferably associated with the user equipment operator and is furthermore idle in as a large area as possible and/or exhibits an optimum QoS, thereby maximizing network capacity and throughput by minimizing the probability of inter-frequency handover signalling and compressed mode operations. A radio network controller includes installed software, which carries out the traffic channel allocation and control.

主权项

1. A method for setting up a radio traffic channel exploiting CDMA-access scheme in a cellular radio network, the network shared between at least first and second network providers offering high bit rate services to at least one user equipment through at least one node in a first cell, including a radio network controller (RNC) connected with a base station, the method comprising:
dividing a total of high bit rate traffic channel resources of the network into at least first and second network provider specific parts, the first and second parts not sharing any common traffic channels, and each part representing an allocation of traffic channel resources to the respective network provider; associating the first network provider with the first part and the second network provider with the second part; associating the user equipment initiated in a first cell with the first network provider; detecting a call set-up request for the user equipment; identifying an unused traffic channel in a form of a frequency in combination with a spreading code, by searching among the traffic channel resources of the first part, and in response to reduced availability of the traffic channel resources of the first part, by searching among the traffic channel resources of the second part that provides an idle traffic channel resource on a second frequency associated with the second network provider, said second frequency being exploitable by the first network provider; allocating the identified idle unused traffic channel, having the frequency and the spreading code, to the user equipment; and setting up a radio traffic channel between the user equipment and the base station by exploiting the allocated traffic channel resource, including the frequency and the spreading code.