Method and apparatus for distributing handoff control in wireless networks via programmable black and white lists

A hierarchy of controllers that are part of a communication network include: (1) a network controller at the top of the hierarchy having direct access to at least one subscription profile, ProfileUE, associated with at least one User Equipment (UE), (2) a radio access network (RAN) controller located at a level directly beneath the network controller receiving the subscription profile, ProfileUE, from the network controller, (3) a base station controller associated with a base station and located beneath the RAN controller in the hierarchy, (4) a UE controller associated with an UE located beneath the base station controller in the hierarchy. The RAN controller, based on information in the received subscription profile, ProfileUE, delegates handoff decisions to either the base station controller or the UE controller, and the RAN controller makes such delegation decisions by programming a per UE White List (WLUE) and a per UE Black List (BLUE), the WLUE comprising a programmable list of candidate base stations with which the UE is permitted to conduct handoff operations, and the BLUE comprising another programmable list of base stations with which the UE is not permitted to conduct handoff operations.