A method at a small cell access point in a cellular network for offloading a wireless device in a macro cell, the method comprising: establishing a radio link signaling connection between a base station of the macro cell and the small cell access point to determine whether the small cell access point has capacity to service the wireless device, wherein the radio link signalling connection is a cellular connection which carries control plane traffic for the wireless device between the small cell access point and the base station of the macro cell; establishing a backhaul connection between the small cell access point and a traffic interchange point for user plane traffic; and offloading the wireless device using control signaling over the radio link signaling connection, wherein the offloading comprises: preparing the small cell access point for the wireless device, and associating with the wireless device; wherein the associating with the wireless device comprises receiving an association request from the wireless device; and authenticating the wireless device using a pairwise master key known to the small cell access point and the wireless device, wherein the pairwise master key was derived by the base station and received at the small cell access point during the preparing, and wherein the establishing of the radio link results in the small cell access point becoming a trusted entity for the macro cell, wherein the becoming the trusted entity for the macro cell comprises ensuring that only authorized devices are granted access to the cellular network. establishing a radio link signaling connection between a base station of the macro cell and the small cell access point to determine whether the small cell access point has capacity to service the wireless device, wherein the radio link signalling connection is a cellular connection which carries control plane traffic for the wireless device between the small cell access point and the base station of the macro cell; establishing a backhaul connection between the small cell access point and a traffic interchange point for user plane traffic; and offloading the wireless device using control signaling over the radio link signaling connection, wherein the offloading comprises: preparing the small cell access point for the wireless device, and associating with the wireless device; wherein the associating with the wireless device comprises receiving an association request from the wireless device; and authenticating the wireless device using a pairwise master key known to the small cell access point and the wireless device, wherein the pairwise master key was derived by the base station and received at the small cell access point during the preparing, and wherein the establishing of the radio link results in the small cell access point becoming a trusted entity for the macro cell, wherein the becoming the trusted entity for the macro cell comprises ensuring that only authorized devices are granted access to the cellular network. preparing the small cell access point for the wireless device, and associating with the wireless device; wherein the associating with the wireless device comprises receiving an association request from the wireless device; and authenticating the wireless device using a pairwise master key known to the small cell access point and the wireless device, wherein the pairwise master key was derived by the base station and received at the small cell access point during the preparing, and