A method for providing cell contouring in a communication network, said method comprising: gridding at least a portion of a service area of said communication network to thereby provide a plurality of network service area grid points, wherein said portion of said service area gridded has a plurality of base stations associated therewith; determining a proposed cell boundary corresponding to each said base station of said plurality of base stations as a function of network service area grid points of said plurality of network service area grid points having a highest ratio of received signal strength associated with communication from said base station to received signal strengths associated with communication from other base stations of said plurality of base stations; calculating transmit power profiles associated with each said base station serving subscriber units within said proposed cell boundary; calculating an average total transmit power level associated with each said base station implementing said transmit power profile; determining if said calculated average total transmit power level is less than a previously determined average total transmit power level by a threshold amount repeating said determining a proposed cell boundary, said calculating a transmit power profile, and said calculating an average total transmit power level if said calculated average total transmit power level is determined to be less than said previously determined average total transmit power level by said threshold amount; and accepting at least one said proposed cell boundary as an optimized cell boundary if said calculated average total transmit power level is determined not to be less than said previously determined average total transmit power level by said threshold amount. gridding at least a portion of a service area of said communication network to thereby provide a plurality of network service area grid points, wherein said portion of said service area gridded has a plurality of base stations associated therewith; determining a proposed cell boundary corresponding to each said base station of said plurality of base stations as a function of network service area grid points of said plurality of network service area grid points having a highest ratio of received signal strength associated with communication from said base station to received signal strengths associated with communication from other base stations of said plurality of base stations; calculating transmit power profiles associated with each said base station serving subscriber units within said proposed cell boundary; calculating an average total transmit power level associated with each said base station implementing said transmit power profile; determining if said calculated average total transmit power level is less than a previously determined average total transmit power level by a threshold amount repeating said determining a proposed cell boundary, said calculating a transmit power profile, and said calculating an average total transmit power level if said calculated average total transmit power level is determined to be less than said previously determined average total transmit power level by said threshold amount; and accepting at least one said proposed cell boundary as an optimized cell boundary if said calculated average total transmit power level is determined not to be less than said previously determined average total transmit power level by said threshold amount.