Patent ID: 8797846

Claim:
A serving gateway support node comprising: a Mobile Management Entity (MME) configured to operate in a radio telecommunications network, and further configured to control at least one serving gateway in the radio telecommunications network to connect user equipment to a packet-based network via a home gateway and is also arranged to cause each serving gateway to hand over the connections between the user equipment and the packet-based network to other serving gateways in the radio telecommunications network whilst maintaining the user equipment's connection to the packet-based network as the user equipment roam throughout the radio telecommunications network; wherein the MME is further configured to detect a loss of connectivity between the user equipment and the home gateway or between the MME and a first serving gateway, and the MME is further configured to re-establish the connection from the user equipment to the packet-based data network via a second serving gateway and the home gateway without interrupting the connection of the user equipment to the packet-based network.