Patent ID: 8457633

Claim:
A method comprising: a radio access network (RAN) receiving, from a wireless communication device (WCD), a request to establish a call of a given call type, wherein the RAN defines a plurality of wireless coverage areas, wherein the RAN determines the given call type based on a service option that is associated with the request to establish the call; when the given call type is a real-time call type, the RAN selecting a first set of wireless coverage areas from the plurality; when the given call type is a non-real-time call type, the RAN selecting a second set of wireless coverage areas from the plurality, wherein the second set of wireless coverage areas is smaller than the first set of wireless coverage areas; when the selected set of wireless coverage areas consists of one wireless coverage area, the RAN communicating with the WCD via the one wireless coverage area; and when the selected set of wireless coverage areas consists of more than one wireless coverage area, the RAN communicating with the WCD substantially simultaneously via each wireless coverage area in the selected set, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via each wireless coverage area in the selected set comprises during establishment of a call in which the WCD participates, the RAN assigning, to the WCD, a respective traffic channel from each wireless coverage area in the selected set, and during an initial portion of the call, the RAN exchanging bearer traffic with the WCD via each of the assigned traffic channels.