Suppression of modulation order in response to uplink voice muting

1. A method for controlling uplink air-interface communication over an air interface from a given user equipment device (UE) to an access node, wherein the uplink air-interface communication normally operates with a modulation order corresponding with a most recently determined channel quality of the given UE, the method comprising:

detecting at least a threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface, wherein the uplink voice muting comprises uplink voice muting for a plurality of UEs served by the access node; and

responsive to at least the detecting of the threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface for the plurality of UEs served by the access node, suppressing the modulation order used for the uplink air-interface communication from the given UE to the access node over the air interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the given UE is engaged in non-voice communication rather than voice-communication,

wherein the suppressing is additionally responsive to the determining that the given UE is engaged in non-voice communication rather than voice-communication.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting at least the threshold high rate of uplink voice muting comprises:

detecting multiple instances of uplink voice muting on the air interface; and

determining that the multiple instances of uplink voice muting have occurred at a rate that is at least as high as a predefined threshold rate.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the predefined threshold rate is defined as a number of instances of uplink voice muting per unit time, and wherein detecting an instance of uplink voice muting on the air interface comprises monitoring for absence of expected uplink voice-packet transmission on the air interface from the given UE.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein uplink voice muting on the air interface comprises absence of expected voice-packet transmission on the air interface for a threshold time period.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting at least the threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface is predictive based on historical records of past communications.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the historical records of past communications indicate a time of day during which a threshold high extent of uplink voice muting on the air interface was detected, wherein suppressing the modulation order used for air-interface communication over the air interface between the access node and the given UE is based on a current time of day being the time of day.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulation order corresponding with the most recently determined channel quality is a first modulation order, and wherein suppressing the modulation order used for the uplink air-interface communication from the given UE to the access node over the air interface comprises:

setting the modulation order to a second modulation order selected based on the second modulation order being lower than the modulation order corresponding with the most recently determined channel quality of the UE.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising selecting the second modulation order based on the second modulation order being one modulation order lower than the first modulation order,

wherein the setting is based on the selecting.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising causing the UE to use the second modulation order for the uplink air-interface communication.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method is carried out by the access node, and wherein causing the given UE to use the second modulation order for the uplink air-interface communication comprises transmitting to the UE a control message to which the UE is configured to respond by using the second modulation order for the uplink air-interface communication.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modulation order corresponding with the most recently determined channel quality is a first modulation order, and wherein suppressing the modulation order used for the uplink air-interface communication from the given UE to the access node over the air interface comprises:

setting the modulation order to a second modulation order selected based on the second modulation order corresponding with a channel quality that is lower than the most recently determined channel quality of the UE.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting and suppressing are carried out by the access node.

14. A computing system configured to control uplink air-interface communication over an air interface from a given user equipment device (UE) to an access node, wherein the uplink air-interface communication normally operates with a modulation order corresponding with a most recently determined channel quality of the given UE, the computing system comprising:

at least one processor;

non-transitory data storage; and

program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processor to carry out operations including:

detecting at least a threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface, wherein the uplink voice muting comprises uplink voice muting for a plurality of UEs served by the access node; and

responsive to at least the detecting of the threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface for the plurality of UEs served by the access node, suppressing the modulation order used for air-interface communication over the air interface between the access node and the given UE.

15. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein the modulation order corresponding with the most recently determined channel quality is a first modulation order, and wherein suppressing the modulation order used for the uplink air-interface communication from the given UE to the access node over the air interface comprises:

setting the modulation order to a second modulation order selected based on the second modulation order being lower than the modulation order corresponding with the most recently determined channel quality of the UE.

16. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein the modulation order corresponding with the most recently determined channel quality is a first modulation order, and wherein suppressing the modulation order used for the uplink air-interface communication from the given UE to the access node over the air interface comprises:

setting the modulation order to a second modulation order selected based on the second modulation order corresponding with a channel quality that is lower than the most determined reported channel quality of the UE.

17. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the given UE is engaged in non-voice communication rather than voice-communication,

wherein the suppressing is additionally responsive to the determining that the given UE is engaged in non-voice communication rather than voice-communication.

18. An access node configured to control uplink air-interface communication over an air interface from a given user equipment device (UE) to an access node, wherein the uplink air-interface communication normally operates with a modulation order corresponding with a most recently determined channel quality of the given UE, the access node comprising:

a wireless communication interface including an antenna structure through which the access node provides service on the air interface;

a backhaul communication interface through which to communicate with other entities; and

a controller, wherein the controller is configured to cause the access node to carry out operations including:

detecting at least a threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface, wherein the uplink voice muting comprises uplink voice muting for a plurality of UEs served by the access node; and

responsive to at least the detecting of the threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface for the plurality of UEs served by the access node, suppressing the modulation order used for air-interface communication over the air interface between the access node and the given UE.

19. The access node of claim 18 , wherein the controller comprises a processor, non-transitory data storage, and program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processor to cause the access node to carry out the operations.

20. The access node of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the given UE is engaged in non-voice communication rather than voice-communication,

wherein the suppressing is additionally responsive to the determining that the given UE is engaged in non-voice communication rather than voice-communication.