Inter-cell interference coordination across layers of a communication network can be implemented by configuring a cell to transmit one or more downlink transmission resources having variably reduced transmission activity. A transmitting node, such as a macro cell, can transmit transmission resources, such as resource elements, resource blocks, subframes, and frames, having reduced transmission activity at varying predictable times according to a selected cell activity pattern. A receiving node, such as a user equipment, can decide to make received signal measurements according to the cell activity pattern.