A method and
system for optimizing channel quality indicator (CQI) transmissions by mobile devices in a
cellular network allows transmission of CQIs at a slower rate and with fewer bits during voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) sessions than during non-real-time (NRT) data transmissions. A VoIP transmission typically includes “talkspurt” periods, during which VoIP packets are transmitted, and
silence periods, which start with a
silence indication (SID) packet and continue with periodic SID packets until a VoIP packet is received. When the
base station is transmitting NRT data, the
mobile device transmits CQIs to the
base station at a first rate, with each CQI having a first fixed number of bits. When the
base station is transmitting VoIP to the
mobile device, then during a talkspurt period, the
mobile device may transmit CQIs to the base
station at a second rate slower than the first rate, and each CQI may have a second fixed number of bits less than the first fixed number of bits. However, during a
silence period, the mobile device does not transmit CQIs to the base
station, and
uplink channel resources allocated for the CQIs can be reallocated to other mobile devices.