Method of operating a mbms (multimedia broadcast multicast service) for a mobile station according to the position or signal quality

A method of operating a multimedia broadcast/multicast service, comprising:

• causing a network controller to broadcast, to all mobile stations in a cell, an offer of service requesting from each mobile station an indication of interest in the service;
• receiving data relating to each interested mobile station enabling determination of at least one of position within the cell and received signal quality for each interested mobile station;
• calculating a preferred distribution of point-to-multipoint and point-to-point bearers for interested mobile stations in at least one predefined area within the cell;
• determining a range of a subsequent broadcast transmission by at least one of received power level and received quality at each interested mobile station of a notification message sent from a base transceiver station to the interested mobile station, the subsequent broadcast transmission using point-to-multipoint bearers;
• and
• requiring each interested mobile station which is out of range of the subsequent broadcast transmission to use point-to-point bearers to receive the service.