Patent ID: 9350604
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method comprising: receiving a first service request on behalf of a first wireless communication device (WCD), wherein the first WCD is served by a first base station of a first wireless network provider, and wherein the first WCD is subscribed to a second wireless network provider; identifying, at a mobility management entity (MME) device, a home packet gateway (PGW) device with which to establish an inter-provider bearer path for the first WCD, wherein the inter-provider bearer path includes the first base station, a first serving gateway (SGW) device, and the home PGW device, and wherein the home PGW device is operated by the second wireless network provider; determining that the home PGW device is unresponsive; in response to determining that the home PGW device is unresponsive, identifying a backup PGW device, wherein the backup PGW device is operated by the first wireless network provider; and for at least some WCDs that are subscribed to the second wireless service provider and served by the first wireless service provider, instructing the first SGW device to establish intra-provider bearer paths that include the backup PGW device.