A method for deactivating a first node in a communication network, the first node communicating with one or more user equipment, UE, devices in a first network cell, the method comprising: receiving, at the first node, reference signal information from the one or more UE devices; determining, during a first time period, T1, from the received reference signal information, a number A of active mobile UE devices in the first network cell; receiving, at the first node, mobility pattern information from one or more of the UE devices; determining, during the first time period, from the received mobility pattern information, a number B of static UE devices in the first network cell; collecting, at the first node, Device to Device, D2D, communication requests; determining, during the first time period, from the collected D2D communication requests, a number C of requests for direct D2D communication received from UE devices in the first network cell; estimating a number of active UE devices S2 in the first network cell during a second time period, T2, from one or more of the numbers A, B, and C; and determining whether the estimated number of active UE devices in the first network cell during the second time period is less than a first threshold, TH1, and, if the estimated number of active UE devices in the first network cell during the second time period is less than the first threshold the method further comprising: transmitting a request to a second node in the communication network to take over communication with the one or more UE devices in the first network cell, wherein the second node acknowledges the request to take over communication with the one or more UE devices, based on a determination of whether a number M of non-active UE devices at the first network cell is greater than a number K of non-active UE devices in the second network cell plus a third threshold, TH3; and deactivating the first node if it is determined that M is greater than K plus the third threshold TH3. receiving, at the first node, reference signal information from the one or more UE devices; determining, during a first time period, T1, from the received reference signal information, a number A of active mobile UE devices in the first network cell; receiving, at the first node, mobility pattern information from one or more of the UE devices; determining, during the first time period, from the received mobility pattern information, a number B of static UE devices in the first network cell; collecting, at the first node, Device to Device, D2D, communication requests; determining, during the first time period, from the collected D2D communication requests, a number C of requests for direct D2D communication received from UE devices in the first network cell; estimating a number of active UE devices S2 in the first network cell during a second time period, T2, from one or more of the numbers A, B, and C; and determining whether the estimated number of active UE devices in the first network cell during the second time period is less than a first threshold, TH1, and, if the estimated number of active UE devices in the first network cell during the second time period is less than the first threshold the method further comprising: transmitting a request to a second node in the communication network to take over communication with the one or more UE devices in the first network cell, wherein the second node acknowledges the request to take over communication with the one or more UE devices, based on a determination of whether a number M of non-active UE devices at the first network cell is greater than a number K of non-active UE devices in the second network cell plus a third threshold, TH3; and deactivating the first node if it is determined that M is greater than K plus the third threshold TH3. transmitting a request to a second node in the communication network to take over communication with the one or more UE devices in the first network cell, wherein the second node acknowledges the request to take over communication with the one or more UE devices, based on a determination of whether a number M of non-active UE devices at the first network cell is greater than a number K of non-active UE devices in the second network cell plus a third threshold, TH3; and deactivating the first node if it is determined that M is greater than K plus the third threshold TH3.