A method for assigning a limited number of pre-established Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service, MBMS, bearers among a plethora of communication groups for a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP, compliant system, the method comprising: at a call controller in the 3GPP compliant system, the 3GPP compliant system having a radio access network partitioned into a plurality MBMS service areas (126, 128, 130, 132), wherein each MBMS service area (126, 128, 130, 132) is associated with a plurality of 3GPP MBMS bearers established a priori for transporting media streams, the call controller performing: receiving, by the call controller, a request to transmit a media stream to a communication group, wherein the request to transmit is received after the plurality of 3GPP MBMS bearers in the plurality of MBMS service areas (126, 128, 130, 132) were established; selecting, by the call controller, a set of the 3GPP MBMS service areas (126, 128, 130, 132) for transporting the media stream; determining, by the call controller, an available MBMS bearer, from among the plurality of 3GPP MBMS bearers that were established in each selected MBMS service area (126, 128, 130, 132) and were established prior to receiving the request to transmit the media stream, to assign to transport the media stream; identifying, by the call controller, the assigned 3GPP MBMS bearers to members of the communication group. at a call controller in the 3GPP compliant system, the 3GPP compliant system having a radio access network partitioned into a plurality MBMS service areas (126, 128, 130, 132), wherein each MBMS service area (126, 128, 130, 132) is associated with a plurality of 3GPP MBMS bearers established a priori for transporting media streams, the call controller performing: receiving, by the call controller, a request to transmit a media stream to a communication group, wherein the request to transmit is received after the plurality of 3GPP MBMS bearers in the plurality of MBMS service areas (126, 128, 130, 132) were established; selecting, by the call controller, a set of the 3GPP MBMS service areas (126, 128, 130, 132) for transporting the media stream; determining, by the call controller, an available MBMS bearer, from among the plurality of 3GPP MBMS bearers that were established in each selected MBMS service area (126, 128, 130, 132) and were established prior to receiving the request to transmit the media stream, to assign to transport the media stream; identifying, by the call controller, the assigned 3GPP MBMS bearers to members of the communication group. receiving, by the call controller, a request to transmit a media stream to a communication group, wherein the request to transmit is received after the plurality of 3GPP MBMS bearers in the plurality of MBMS service areas (126, 128, 130, 132) were established; selecting, by the call controller, a set of the 3GPP MBMS service areas (126, 128, 130, 132) for transporting the media stream; determining, by the call controller, an available MBMS bearer, from among the plurality of 3GPP MBMS bearers that were established in each selected MBMS service area (126, 128, 130, 132) and were established prior to receiving the request to transmit the media stream, to assign to transport the media stream; identifying, by the call controller, the assigned 3GPP MBMS bearers to members of the communication group.