Patent ID: 8504041

Claim:
A method for a network element providing communications with a wireless communications network, wherein the wireless communications network includes a plurality of pooled mobile switching centers coupled to a base station controller so that each of the plurality of pooled mobile switching centers is configured to control communications with respective wireless terminals communicating through the base station controller, the method comprising: transmitting a ping message from the network element to a primary pooled mobile switching center of the plurality of pooled mobile switching centers; responsive to receipt of a ping response message at the network element from the primary pooled mobile switching center, transmitting a communication from the network element to the primary pooled mobile switching center; responsive to non-receipt of a ping response message at the network element from the primary pooled mobile switching center, transmitting the communication from the network element to a secondary pooled mobile switching center of the plurality of pooled mobile switching centers; and wherein the network element is a short message service center and the communication is a short message service broadcast, wherein transmitting the communication to the primary pooled mobile switching center comprises transmitting the short message service broadcast to the primary pooled mobile switching center for transmission through the base station controller to the respective wireless terminals communicating through the base station controller, and wherein transmitting the communication to the secondary pooled mobile switching center comprises transmitting the short message service broadcast to the secondary pooled mobile switching center for transmission through the base station controller to the respective wireless terminals communicating through the base station controller.