Bearer service in communications

An apparatus comprising at least one processor;

• and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:
• establishing a radio bearer service for transmitting messages over an air interface in a communications system between the apparatus and a user terminal,
• wherein a point-to-point radio bearer is to be used for transmitting unicast messages on a user plane,
• wherein an associated shared point-to-multipoint broadcast radio bearer in downlink is to be used for transmitting one or more of broadcast and multicast messages for use for protocol messages from a local internet protocol IP network via the network apparatus to user terminals,
• wherein messages received from the point-to-point radio bearer and the associated shared point-to-multipoint broadcast radio bearer in downlink are combinable in the user terminal into a single connection emulating one or more of a broadcast and multicast capable media respectively over the air interface;
• and
• establishing a local Internet protocol access (LIPA) broadcast bearer service for transmitting neighbor discovery messages or other protocol messages requiring multicasting to user terminals and transmitting the messages by utilizing the established broadcast bearer service to user terminals connected to the network apparatus.

A user equipment comprising at least one processor;

• and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to at least perform the following:
• receive messages over an air interface, wherein a point-to-point radio bearer is used for receiving unicast messages on a user plane and wherein an associated shared point-to-multipoint broadcast radio bearer in downlink is used for receiving one or more of broadcast and multicast messages for use for protocol messages from a local IP network via a network apparatus to the user terminal;
• combine the messages received from the point-to-point radio bearer and the associated shared point-to-multipoint broadcast radio bearer in downlink into a single connection emulating one or more of a broadcast and multicast capable media respectively over the air interface;
• and
• send neighbor discovery protocol messages to another host in a local area network via the network apparatus via an uplink local Internet protocol access (LIPA) unicast bearer service.