Technique for interworking a wlan with a wireless telephony network

A method for interworking a WLAN network accessed by at least one mobile terminal user, and a wireless telephony network, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a wireless telephony communications link between the WLAN and the wireless telephony network;
• transmitting a first control communications signal from the Wireless telephony network to the WLAN across the wireless telephony communications link;
• and
• distributing the first communications control signal to the least one mobile terminal user in communication with the WLAN.

A method for interworking a WLAN network accessed by a plurality of wireless terminals, and a wireless telephony network, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a wireless telephony communications link between the WLAN and the wireless telephony network;
• multiplexing first control communications signals received from the plurality of mobile terminal users into a first combined signal stream;
• communicating the first combined signal stream from the WLAN network to a wireless telephony network across the wireless telecommunications link;
• transmitting a second combined communications signal stream of multiplexed control communications signals from the wireless telephony network to the WLAN across the wireless telephony communications link;
• de-multiplexing the second combined signal stream into constituent control signals;
• and
• distributing the constituent signals to corresponding mobile terminals users in communication with the WLAN.

A communications system, comprising:

• a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) accessible by at least one mobile terminal user;
• a wireless telephony network for providing wireless telephony service;
• and
• a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) wireless communications channel for carrying control communications signals between the WLAN and the wireless telephony network.