Patent ID: 8634838

Claim:
A method of setting up a connection between an originating terminal and a terminating terminal connecting via the same access network, the access network accessing a core network through an originating access gateway for the originating terminal, the method comprising: at the originating access gateway, including an information element in a set-up message for setting up the connection through at least the core network; transmitting the set-up message on a signalling path through at least the core network to a terminating access gateway in the core network, wherein at least one of the nodes through which the signalling path progresses enters information into the information element relating to its needs to access a media plane of the connection to be set up; receiving at the terminating access gateway the set-up message comprising the information element; transmitting a response message including the information element with collected media plane access needs in an opposite direction along the signalling path to the originating access gateway; and providing information on the collected media plane access needs for a determination by the originating access gateway or another node regarding whether a local shortcut of a media path of said connection can be established in the access network.