The process that allows a call in progress to continue as the mobile terminal moves between cells is called a handoff . In cellular networks, call admission algorithms play an important role in improving the performance of the network.

• In this thesis, we present a new call admission algorithm that improves the quality of service in cellular networks by prioritizing handoff call requests over new call requests. This prioritization is based on defining a controlled dropping ratio that attempts to prevent dropping a handoff call until a pre-specified target number of new calls are blocked.

• The purpose of blocking new calls is to adaptively reserve bandwidth for handoff calls. The aim of this algorithm is to improve the quality of service of cellular networks by minimizing the grade of service, the non-completed call probability, and the channel non-utilization.

• The effectiveness of the new call admission algorithm in reducing the handoff dropping probability and the new call blocking probability was studied. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)