Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing transcoder free operation (TrFO) and interworking between unlicensed mobile access (UMA) and universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) call legs using a media gateway

A media gateway for establishing a transcoding free connection between unlicensed mobile access (UMA) and universal mobile telecommunications service (UMTS) legs of a connection, the media gateway comprising:

• (a) at least one broadband interface for sending media packets to and from a UMA leg and a UMTS leg of a connection;
• (b) a packet switching fabric for forwarding media packets between the at least one broadband interface and at least one internal processing resource of the media gateway;
• (c) at least one voice server for performing voice processing functions for media packets received from the UMA leg and the UMTS leg;
• and
• (d) a UMA-UMTS transcoder free operation controller for establishing a transcoding free connection within the media gateway between the UMA and the UMTS legs via the at least one broadband interface, the packet switching fabric, and the at least one voice server.

A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

• (a) determining whether codec configurations used by different legs of a unlicensed mobile access-universal mobile telecommunications service (UMA-UMTS) connection are compatible;
• (b) in response to determining that the codec configurations are compatible, determining whether rate control is required to establish a transcoding free connection;
• (c) in response to determining that rate control is required, issuing a rate control request to at least one of the UMTS and UMA legs;
• (d) determining whether the rate control request is successful;
• and
• (e) in response to determining that the rate control request is successful, establishing a transcoder free connection between the UMTS leg and the UMA leg in the media gateway.