Patent ID: 8355353

Claim:
A method for setting up a first multicast service comprising a bidirectional multicast service from a multicast service provider to a mobile terminal within a mobile communication system, the mobile communication system comprising a core network and a radio access network, wherein in the mobile communication system, downlink multicast service data of said first multicast service is to be provided to the mobile terminal utilizing a downlink multicast service framework of a second multicast service comprising a downlink multicast service, the method comprising the steps of: configuring system resources of the mobile communication system for the transmission of multicast service data of the first multicast service, wherein the configuring of the system resources comprises the establishment of a bidirectional radio bearer between the mobile terminal and a control entity controlling radio resources of the radio access network, deciding whether to utilize a point-to-point connection on the radio access network to provide the downlink multicast service data of the first multicast service to the mobile terminal, and configuring system resources of the downlink multicast service framework of the second multicast service for the transmission of the downlink multicast service data of the first multicast service to utilize the bidirectional radio bearer, established for the first multicast service, to provide the downlink multicast service data of the first multicast service to the mobile terminal, in case it has been decided to utilize a point-to-point connection, wherein the first multicast service is an IMS service and the multicast service framework of the second multicast service is provided by an MBMS service.