Patent ID: 8073428

Claim:
A method of securing communication between an access point that operates using licensed wireless frequencies covering a short-range distance and a network controller in a communication system comprising (i) a first communication system comprising a core network and a licensed radio access network and (ii) a wireless second communication system comprising the network controller and the access point, the network controller for communicatively coupling the access point to the core network, the method comprising: at the access point, establishing a particular secure tunnel between the access point and the network controller to protect signaling traffic between the access point and the network controller, wherein said signaling traffic is sent from a plurality of user equipments (UEs) to the access point over a wireless air interface; after establishing the particular secure tunnel, intercepting a plurality of initial non access stratum (NAS) messages at the access point, each initial NAS message sent from one of the plurality of UEs towards the core network; and in response to intercepting each particular initial NAS message, communicatively coupling a UE corresponding to the particular initial NAS message to the network controller using the particular secure tunnel, wherein the plurality of UEs are communicatively coupled to the access point through the wireless air interface.