Patent ID: 8005471

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: an access network configured to provide a wireless communication service over a service coverage area and is configured to support a broadcast multicast system (BCMCS); wherein the service coverage area is divided into a plurality of coverage broadcast signaling zones; wherein each coverage broadcast signaling zone comprises at least one assigned broadcast signaling zone, wherein each assigned broadcast signaling zone is identified by a unique zone identifier and a flow identifier, wherein the assigned broadcast signaling zones cover the service coverage area and do not overlap; wherein the access network is configured to broadcast a plurality of broadcast control-signaling channels (BCC) over the service coverage area via a plurality of BCMCS flows, wherein each of the plurality of BCMCS flows is identified by a flow identifier; wherein the access network is configured to broadcast one BCC, of the plurality of BCCs, over each coverage broadcast signaling zone via a BCMCS flow, of the plurality of BCMCS flows, identified by the flow identifier of the assigned broadcast signaling zone that corresponds to the coverage broadcast signaling zone; wherein the access network is configured to select, based at least in part on a flow identifier registration by an access terminal in the service coverage area, a selected BCC of the plurality of BCCs or another control channel for sending a signaling message to the access terminal.