Patent ID: 8842589

Claim:
A method comprising: determining that a first utilization of a first wireless coverage area is below a first low-utilization threshold, wherein a radio access network (RAN) radiates to define the first wireless coverage area and the first wireless coverage area is configured to provide wireless coverage to wireless communication devices (WCDs), and wherein determining that the first utilization of the first wireless coverage area is below the first low-utilization threshold comprises determining that a measured number of traffic channels in use in the first wireless coverage area is less than a threshold number of traffic channels; based at least on determining that the first utilization of the first wireless coverage area is below the first low-utilization threshold, instructing the RAN to transmit noise frames in the first wireless coverage area; determining that a second utilization of the first wireless coverage area exceeds a high-utilization threshold; and based at least on determining that the second utilization of the first wireless coverage area exceeds the high-utilization threshold, instructing the RAN to stop transmission of noise frames in the first wireless coverage area.