Patent ID: 8923863

Claim:
A method comprising: activating a signaling reduction mode on a wireless access node for a mobile device in an idle state where the signaling reduction mode permits the mobile device to switch radio access technologies while maintaining registration with both the wireless access node and a peer wireless access node; exchanging with the peer wireless access node a first control tunnel identifier of the wireless access node and a second control tunnel identifier of the peer wireless access node; selecting at the wireless access node a second gateway to replace a first gateway; establishing a control connection with the second gateway; transmitting to the second gateway the second control tunnel identifier of the peer wireless access node so that the second gateway may establish a control connection with the peer wireless access node; and continuing the signaling reduction mode, wherein the signaling reduction mode is activated when the mobile device is already attached to the peer wireless access node using a first radio access technology and, at the time of activation, attaches to the wireless access node using a second radio access technology.