Patent ID: 8311582

Claim:
A method for increasing subscriber capacity in a sectorized cellular communications network having a plurality of subscribers and a base station supporting at least one sector, each of the at least one sector having one or more associated sector antennae at the base station having a critical coverage area extending therefrom and overlapping neighbouring sectors thereof in a sector handover zone, the method comprising a step of: replacing the associated one or more sector antennae for a given sector with a split-sector antenna having a plurality of sub-sector coverage areas extending therefrom, at least one of which is asymmetrical, each corresponding to a sub-sector and overlapping a neighbouring sub-sector coverage area in a sub-sector handover zone, whereby a total critical coverage area provided by the plurality of sub-sector coverage areas is substantially equivalent to a critical coverage area of the replaced one or more associated sector antennae, wherein said at least one asymmetrical sub-sector coverage area reduces overlap with said neighbouring sub-sector coverage area comparing to overlap of the replaced antennae while maintaining the critical coverage area of the replaced antenna.