Patent ID: 8195168

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a request message including registration information from a message gateway entity by a home subscriber database via Mobile Application Part signaling in association with a registration procedure, wherein the request message further comprises information elements including registration and address data related to the message gateway entity, wherein the message gateway entity is external to a core network of a wireless communications system and is configured to route short message service messages, and wherein the address data related to the message gateway entity is included in the request message as a separate information element or the address data is included in the request message in connection with an existing information element re-used for the message gateway entity related information; causing the registration information and information elements to be stored in the home subscriber database; and using the stored registration information and information elements for responding, by the home subscriber database, to a routing information request to cause a data message to be transmitted to a destination connected to the message gateway entity, wherein using the stored registration information and information elements comprises causing the registration information and information elements related to the message gateway element to be sent in response to the request for routing information.