Minimization of frequency assignment span in cellular networks

We consider the problem of minimizing the span of frequencies required to satisfy a certain demand in a cellular network under certain interference constraints. A new iterative algorithm exploiting the special nature of such systems is presented. The general procedure has the ability to react to variations of the traffic demand as more and more channels are being assigned to cell requirements. Allocations of channels to cells are made with a method that borrows insight from the theory of convex maximization. This method is, however, equivalent to simple and fast heuristics when selecting proper values for its parameters. Our technique yields quite encouraging results, showing that it represents an efficient alternative to attacking this type of problems.