Patent ID: 8639248
Filing Date: 2014-01-28
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A mobile communications network, comprising: a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), comprising a plurality of network nodes; a core network anchor node; and an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, and configured to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to the core network anchor node, wherein the core network anchor node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point such that, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the PLMN, handover information is sent between the access point and the other of the network nodes of the PLMN over the public wide area network, wherein the handover information is sent through the tunneling connection over the public wide area network rather than over a dedicated line, and wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point.