Patent ID: 8477686

Claim:
A method implemented by a radio access network (RAN), the RAN serving a plurality of active mobile stations in a wireless coverage area defined by the RAN, the RAN normally applying a baseline target frame error rate (FER) in controlling power of communications by the active mobile stations, and the RAN applying a call drop timer according to which the RAN treats a mobile station's call as dropped when the RAN has not successfully received and decoded communications from the mobile station for a call drop timer period, the method comprising: the RAN automatically applying an increased target FER for a subset of the active mobile stations for a first duration defined as a first portion of the call drop timer period; and upon passage of the first duration of applying the increased target FER for the subset of the active mobile stations, the RAN automatically reverting to apply the baseline target FER for the subset of active mobile stations for at least a second duration defined as a second portion of the call drop timer period, the application of the baseline target FER for the second duration being sufficient to facilitate recovery of communications from the active mobile stations of the subset before expiration of the call drop timer period and to thereby prevent call drops.