Patent ID: 8355735

Claim:
Method for improving bandwidth usage in a cellular communication network serving at least one mobile terminal, the network being arranged to use at least a first radio access technology and a second radio access technology in a predefined bandwidth range, the method comprising, at least, the steps of: (i) determining a quantity of mobile terminals within a cell of the first radio access technology supporting the second radio access technology; (ii) determining a level of traffic carried by the first radio access technology cell; and (iii) based on the quantity of mobile terminals within the cell of the first radio access technology that support the second radio access technology and the level of traffic carried by the first radio access technology cell, assigning a first portion of the predefined bandwidth range to the first radio access technology and a second portion of the predefined bandwidth range to the second radio access technology, and wherein said first and second portions of the predefined bandwidth range are assigned dynamically, wherein dynamic assignment of the first and second portions of the predefined bandwidth range comprises: if the level of traffic carried by the first radio access technology cell is above a predetermined high traffic threshold, reducing the second portion of bandwidth assigned to the second radio access technology and increasing the first portion of the bandwidth range assigned to the first radio access technology; determining whether the second portion of bandwidth assigned to the second radio access technology reaches a predetermined minimum service level; and if no mobile terminals supporting the second radio access technology are present in the cell or the level of traffic carried by the first radio access technology cell exceeds a predetermined demand level and no traffic in the second radio access technology is generated by the mobile terminals in the cell, disabling the second radio access technology temporarily.