A distributed packet based communications network system comprising: - a central control system comprising control processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e); - at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) remote from the central control system, the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) for providing access to the packet based communications network, wherein under normal operating conditions the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is controlled by the control processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e); - emergency processing means (CC-AP) (11c, 13c, 14c) distinct from the central control system for controlling the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) when there is a failure in the control processing means control (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) of the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15); - means for providing the emergency processing means (CC-AP) (11c, 13c, 14c) with the same functionality as the control processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e); - wherein the network system comprises a plurality of access points, which access points form a group of access points or a plurality of groups of access points; - and wherein the emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) is for controlling any of the access points (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in the group when there is a failure in the control processing means control of any of the access points ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in the group; - wherein each access point is provided with its own emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) or the groups of access points are assigned to emergency control groups, wherein at least one access point of each emergency control group comprises one of the emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e); - wherein upon detection of a failure in the control processing means control of the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), the emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) is configured to determine whether to take control of the at least one access point ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in dependence upon predetermined rules; and - wherein each access point ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in the emergency group is assigned a weight value of between zero and one, and when the total weight value of all access points (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in the emergency group that have lost connection with the central system equals or exceeds a predefined threshold, the emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) of the group is configured to take over control of those access points ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). - a central control system comprising control processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e); - at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) remote from the central control system, the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) for providing access to the packet based communications network, wherein under normal operating conditions the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is controlled by the control processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e); - emergency processing means (CC-AP) (11c, 13c, 14c) distinct from the central control system for controlling the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) when there is a failure in the control processing means control (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) of the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15); - means for providing the emergency processing means (CC-AP) (11c, 13c, 14c) with the same functionality as the control processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e); - wherein the network system comprises a plurality of access points, which access points form a group of access points or a plurality of groups of access points; - and wherein the emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) is for controlling any of the access points (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in the group when there is a failure in the control processing means control of any of the access points ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in the group; - wherein each access point is provided with its own emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) or the groups of access points are assigned to emergency control groups, wherein at least one access point of each emergency control group comprises one of the emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e); - wherein upon detection of a failure in the control processing means control of the at least one access point (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), the emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) is configured to determine whether to take control of the at least one access point ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in dependence upon predetermined rules; and - wherein each access point ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in the emergency group is assigned a weight value of between zero and one, and when the total weight value of all access points (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) in the emergency group that have lost connection with the central system equals or exceeds a predefined threshold, the emergency processing means (CC-A, CC-B, ADP) (16c, 16d, 16e) of the group is configured to take over control of those access points ( 11, 12, 13, 14, 15).