Patent ID: 7881722

Claim:
A method for ensuring random access coverage while supporting high uplink data rates in a same service area served by a base station having a radio access technology, the service area including first and second co-sited cells both served by the base station using the radio access technology, comprising: associating the first co-sited cell with a first uplink radio frequency carrier assigned to the base station and using the radio access technology and the second co-sited cell with a second uplink radio frequency carrier assigned to the base station and using the radio access technology, where the first co-sited cell allows a lower uplink load using the radio access technology and provides a greater coverage than the second co-sited cell using the radio access technology; in response to a random access request for a communications connection involving the mobile radio terminal, selecting one of the first and second co-sited cells in which to support the communications connection between the mobile radio terminal and the base station depending on one or more factors; controlling the communications connection so that the mobile radio terminal transmits to the base station using the uplink radio frequency carrier associated with the selected co-sited cell, the method further comprising: based on the one or more factors, determining that the requested communications connection is not permitted in the second co-sited cell at a higher uplink data rate, wherein the one or more factors includes: a uplink load of the second co-sited cell exceeding a configurable load threshold, the mobile terminal is capable of transmitting at the higher uplink data rate, the load situation in the second co-sited cell will permit the mobile terminal to transmit at the higher uplink data rate in the second co-sited cell, and current radio channel conditions associated with the mobile radio terminal in the second co-sited cell will permit the mobile terminal to transmit at the higher uplink data rate in the second co-sited cell; selecting the first co-sited cell; and controlling the set up of the requested communications connection with the mobile terminal in the first co-sited cell over the first uplink radio frequency carrier.