A method is provided a wireless system for providing small “guard” cells in a heterogeneous network at locations proximate to privately-maintained HeNB (or femto) cells in the heterogeneous network. More particularly, the methodology of the invention addresses the problem of a mobile user in a heterogeneous network located nearby to a privately maintained HeNB cell in the heterogeneous network, and the inherent interference created for the HeNB cell by the necessity of the mobile user having to transmit and receive communications from a distant public macro eNB. By deploying small public “guard” cells in the macro cell proximate to the private HeNB cells, such a public mobile terminal is enabled to communicate with the public small cell at generally lower power than would have been necessary for communication with the distant macro eNB, with a resulting reduction in interference for the nearby HeNB cell. The FL interference between the macro cell and the HeNBs is also mitigated.