Adaptive automated load balancing for mobility networks including fifth generation networks and beyond

Abstract

The disclosed technology is directed towards load balancing in an adaptive and automated way for wireless mobility networks to improve the overall harmonic-average UE throughput within each controlled group of cells (e.g., different frequency carriers serving a sector of a base station). A load balancer (e.g., analytics component) obtains various device traffic data including throughput data for cells of a group. Pairs of cells in a group (sharing a site and face) can be selected based on satisfying various criteria, with estimated throughput gain achieved by changing the handoff rates between the cell pairs. The technology iteratively repeats the overall process, driving a system to an optimal equilibrium.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 validating, by network equipment comprising a processor, whether a group of cells is eligible, at a group level, for load balancing based on a group-based criterion;   in response to validating that the group of cells is eligible for the load balancing, validating, by the network equipment, whether cells in the group of cells are eligible, at a cell level, for the load balancing based on a cell-based criterion; and   in response to validating that at least two cells of the group of cells are eligible for the load balancing, performing, by the network equipment, the load balancing of the at least two cells.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the load balancing of the at least two cells comprises performing the load balancing on pairs of cells of the at least two cells. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the group-based criterion comprises a determination of whether a control channel element usage associated with the group of cells satisfies a usage threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the group-based criterion comprises a determination of whether a physical resource block usage associated with the group of cells satisfies a usage threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell-based criterion comprises a determination of whether a cell name associated with a cell is in an excluded list. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell-based criterion comprises a physical resource block usage associated with a cell satisfying a usage threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell-based criterion comprises a determination of whether a downlink volume associated with a cell satisfies a volume threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell-based criterion comprises a determination of whether a connection count associated with a cell satisfies a connection count threshold. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell-based criterion comprises a determination of whether a cell is in a downlink only state. 
     
     
         10 . Network equipment, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 determining whether a group of cells is eligible, at a group level, for load balancing based on group-based criterion; 
 in response to determining that the group of cells is eligible for the load balancing, determining whether cells in the group of cells are eligible, at a cell level, for the load balancing based on cell-based criterion; and 
 in response to determining that at least two cells of the group of cells are eligible for the load balancing, executing the load balancing of the at least two cells. 
   
     
     
         11 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein executing the load balancing of the at least two cells comprises performing the load balancing on pairs of cells of the at least two cells. 
     
     
         12 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein satisfying the group-based criterion comprises a control channel element usage associated with the group of cells satisfying a usage threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein satisfying the group-based criterion comprises a physical resource block usage associated with the group of cells satisfying a usage threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein satisfying the cell-based criterion comprises a cell name associated with a cell not being in an excluded list. 
     
     
         15 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein satisfying the cell-based criterion comprises a physical resource block usage associated with a cell satisfying a usage threshold. 
     
     
         16 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the cell-based criterion comprises a downlink volume associated with a cell satisfying a volume threshold. 
     
     
         17 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein satisfying the cell-based criterion comprises a connection count associated with a cell satisfying a connection count threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein satisfying the cell-based criterion comprises a cell not being in a downlink only state. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of network equipment, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 deciding whether a group of cells is eligible, at a group level, for load balancing based on group-based criteria;   in response to deciding that the group of cells is eligible for the load balancing, deciding whether cells in the group of cells are eligible, at a cell level, for the load balancing based on cell-based criteria; and   in response to deciding that at least two cells of the group of cells are eligible for the load balancing, implementing the load balancing of the at least two cells.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein implementing the load balancing of the at least two cells comprises implementing the load balancing on pairs of cells of the at least two cells.