A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, accessing configuration information, monitoring for radio resource control connection requests being transmitted from the wireless communication device to a first server of a first cell of a network, determining whether failed radio resource control connection requests satisfy a cell barring threshold based on the monitoring and based on the configuration information, and responsive to a determination that the cell barring threshold has been satisfied, causing the wireless communication device to perform cell selection for a second cell of the network and to perform cell barring of the first cell. Other embodiments are disclosed.