Patent ID: 7831237

Claim:
A method of providing mobile network security, comprising: registering a first mobile network provider equipment using a secret data that is known to a registration entity with which the first mobile network provider equipment is configured to register, the secret data and an address of the registration entity being embodied in a physical device associated with the first mobile network provider equipment in a manner that enables the physical device to be used to perform a cryptographic function using the secret data but prevents the physical device from being used to provide the secret data as output, the physical device providing the first mobile network provider equipment with the address of the registration entity to facilitate an initial communication from the first mobile network provider equipment to the registration entity, the initial communication comprising a unique identifier of the first mobile network provider equipment and a first random number; mutually authenticating between the first mobile network provider equipment and the registration entity via an SSL connection over an IP-protocol-based network; after mutual authentication, receiving, from the registration entity, encryption data usable to communicate securely with a second mobile network provider equipment over the IP-protocol-based network, the encryption data comprising one or more keys and an IP address of the second mobile network provider equipment, the IP address of the second mobile network provider equipment not being publicly available, the second mobile network provider equipment being coupled to a base station controller via a dedicated line, the second mobile network provider equipment aggregating mobile communications from the first mobile network provider equipment and at least another mobile network provider equipment and sending the aggregated mobile communications to the base station controller via the dedicated line, the second mobile network provider equipment also receiving the one or more keys from the registration entity; sending voice data from the first mobile network provider equipment to the second mobile network provider equipment using S-RTP via UDP over IP using the one or more keys; and sending signaling data from the first mobile network provider equipment to the second mobile network provider equipment via SCTP over IP-SEC using the one or more keys, wherein the first mobile network provider equipment, the second mobile network provider equipment and the registration entity are disposed communicatively on a provider network side of an air link that supports voice and data communications with mobile phones, the mobile phones being configured to support GSM and GPRS communications.