Patent ID: 8175091

Claim:
A method of transmitting a message from a network node in a communication network to a first user device, wherein the first user device and a second user device are separated from the communication network by a restrictive entity that allows a connection between the first user device and the communication network to be established only by the first user device in one direction from the first user device to the communication network and preventing a communication being initiated by a node in the communication network to the first and second user devices, the method comprising: the second user device having established an existing connection to said node via the restrictive entity; the node in the communication network transmitting to the second user device on the existing connection via the restrictive entity a message-waiting notification, identifying the first user device and indicating that the first user device has a message waiting at the network node in the communication network; in response to that notification, the second user device transmitting a connection request to the first user device over a connection between the first and second user device, said connection request being acted on by said first user device to establish a second connection from the first user device to the communication network via the restrictive entity, whereby said message can be transmitted to said first user device from said network node via said second connection.