Patent ID: 7493108

Claim:
A method of providing a multimedia data service, for user equipment which is capable of movement amongst a plurality of cells served by respective base stations of a radio access network, comprising: providing the multimedia data service to each of said cells (a) on a point-to-multipoint basis without requiring a Radio Resource Control connection, (b) on a point-to-multipoint basis while requiring a Radio Resource Control connection, or (c) on a point-to-point basis; and controlling at least one Radio Network Controller such that, when a user equipment moves from a first cell to a second cell, it is detected whether a Radio Resource Control connection is required in the second cell, and a suitable connection is established in said second cell to allow said user equipment to receive the multimedia data service, wherein at least one of the first and second cells provides the multimedia data service on a point-to-multipoint basis without requiring a Radio Resource Control connection.