A method for configuring a first base station within a cluster in a communications system having a plurality of clusters, the method comprising: optimizing an operating parameter of the first base station in accordance with first utility function results from a first utility function associated with the first base station and second utility function results from a second utility function associated with a second base station within the cluster, the first utility function results and the second utility function results according to multiple settings for the operating parameter of the first base station, a first initialized setting of the operating parameter for the second base station, and a second initialized setting of the operating parameter for an external base station outside the cluster; wherein each of the first utility function results and the second utility function results is associated with one of the multiple settings for the operating parameter, and wherein optimizing the operating parameter comprises: determining, for each of the multiple settings of the operating parameter, a summation of the first utility function results and the second utility function results; and selecting one of the multiple settings based on a comparison of the summation for each of the multiple settings of the operating parameter as the optimized operating parameter for the first base station, wherein the first utility function comprises a calculated function log r i r avg, where r 1 is an instantaneous data rate of an i-th user equipment served by the first base station, and r avg is an average data rate of the i-th user equipment served by the first base station, and sharing the optimized operating parameter with the external base station. optimizing an operating parameter of the first base station in accordance with first utility function results from a first utility function associated with the first base station and second utility function results from a second utility function associated with a second base station within the cluster, the first utility function results and the second utility function results according to multiple settings for the operating parameter of the first base station, a first initialized setting of the operating parameter for the second base station, and a second initialized setting of the operating parameter for an external base station outside the cluster; wherein each of the first utility function results and the second utility function results is associated with one of the multiple settings for the operating parameter, and wherein optimizing the operating parameter comprises: determining, for each of the multiple settings of the operating parameter, a summation of the first utility function results and the second utility function results; and selecting one of the multiple settings based on a comparison of the summation for each of the multiple settings of the operating parameter as the optimized operating parameter for the first base station, wherein the first utility function comprises a calculated function log r i r avg, where r 1 is an instantaneous data rate of an i-th user equipment served by the first base station, and r avg is an average data rate of the i-th user equipment served by the first base station, and sharing the optimized operating parameter with the external base station. determining, for each of the multiple settings of the operating parameter, a summation of the first utility function results and the second utility function results; and selecting one of the multiple settings based on a comparison of the summation for each of the multiple settings of the operating parameter as the optimized operating parameter for the first base station, wherein the first utility function comprises a calculated function log r i r avg, where r 1 is an instantaneous data rate of an i-th user equipment served by the first base station, and r avg is an average data rate of the i-th user equipment served by the first base station, and sharing the optimized operating parameter with the external base station.