Patent ID: 7447156

Claim:
A method of delivering a multicast data packet to at least one multicast group member via a radio access router controlling radio resources in a communications system, the method comprising receiving a multicast data packet to be delivered to at least one recipient in a multicast group; determining a first cost of delivery of the multicast data packet as a multicast delivery to each active recipient member of said multicast group; determining a second cost of delivery of the multicast data packet as an individual delivery to each active recipient member of said multicast group; comparing the first and the second costs; and on the basis of the comparison result, delivering, via the radio access router, the multicast data packet using the cheapest applicable one of a predetermined set of delivery methods, said predetermined set of delivery methods comprising: a) if the first cost is more than the second cost, sending the multicast data packet to each active member of the multicast group using one or more dedicated channels; otherwise b) sending the multicast data packet to each active member of the multicast group using cell broadcast channel if the second cost is more than the first cost.