Patent ID: 8315227

Claim:
A network system comprising: at least one core network, wherein each core network comprises a number of packet data gateway access supporting nodes (GASNs), handling mobile user station access over an access network, wherein said core network further provides access to one or more global packet data communication networks, and one or more nodes holding subscriber and/or mobile user station related information, wherein said packet data gateway access supporting nodes are adapted to: assign an IP-address to accessing mobile user stations, have at least one access type dependent interface to at least one type of access network, support inter-communication over a mobility protocol interface, at reception of a request for change of access type from a mobile user station, establish information about the previous packet data gateway access supporting node of the mobile user station, and use the established information to update an established communication context concerning the mobile user station or create a new communication context concerning the mobile user station such that mobility between different access network types is enabled for a mobile user station without interruption of an ongoing session, and in acting as a previous GASN, act as an anchor point for the user after a handover to another access network type, the mobility protocol being used to provide control signaling and user data tunneling between previous and new access support nodes, wherein at least one of said packet data gateway access supporting nodes is adapted to support access over more than one access network type, and wherein the intercommunication mobility protocol is Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP).