CALL BLOCKING PERFORMANCE OF DISTRIBUTED ALGORITHMS FOR DYNAMIC CHANNEL ALLOCATION IN MICROCELLS

We determine the call blocking performance of channel-allocation algor ithms where every channel is available for use in every cell and where decisions are made by mobiles/portables based only on local observati ons. Using a novel Erlang-B approximation method, together with simula tion, we demonstrate that even the simplest algorithm, the timid, comp ares favorably with impractical, centrally administered fixed channel allocation. Our results suggest that an aggressive algorithm, that is, one requiring call reconfigurations, could provide a substantially re duced blocking probability. We also present some algorithms which take major steps toward achieving the excellent blocking performance of th e hypothetical aggressive algorithm but having the stability of the ti mid algorithm.