Access nodes in a network are configured to periodically measure cell loads and exchange cell load measurements with neighbors. At each access node, cell loads are compared with load thresholds, and with neighboring loads, to determine whether or not load balancing operations should be triggered. Load balancing operations include reducing or increasing an effective coverage area of one or both of the congested cell and the neighbor cell by adjusting a handover threshold parameter, such as a threshold signal level. Adjusting thresholds at a congested cell triggers more handovers from the congested cell to the non-congested cell. Similarly, adjusting thresholds at a non-congested cell prevents handovers from the non-congested cell to the congested cell.