Selectively allocating data channel resources to wireless communication devices within a wireless communications system

An access network configured to set-up a group communication session within a wireless communications system, comprising:

• means for receiving a request to allocate a given data channel to a given wireless communication device;
• means for determining whether the given data channel is available for allocation to the wireless communication device;
• means for, if the given data channel is determined not to be available for allocation to the wireless communication device, determining a priority score to be associated with the received request;
• means for initiating one of a plurality of data channel acquisition procedures if the determined priority score is above at least one priority score threshold, each of the plurality of data channel acquisition procedures configured to obtain the given data channel in order to service the received request.

An access network configured to set-up a group communication session within a wireless communications system, comprising:

• logic configured to receive a request to allocate a given data channel to a given wireless communication device;
• logic configured to determine whether the given data channel is available for allocation to the wireless communication device;
• logic configured to, if the given data channel is determined not to be available for allocation to the wireless communication device, determine a priority score to be associated with the received request;
• logic configured to initiate one of a plurality of data channel acquisition procedures if the determined priority score is above at least one priority score threshold, each of the plurality of data channel acquisition procedures configured to obtain the given data channel in order to service the received request.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions, which, when executed by an access network configured to set-up a group communication session within a wireless communications system, cause the access network to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

• instructions to receive a request to allocate a given data channel to a given wireless communication device;
• instructions to determine whether the given data channel is available for allocation to the wireless communication device;
• instructions to, if the given data channel is determined not to be available for allocation to the wireless communication device, determine a priority score to be associated with the received request;
• instructions to initiate one of a plurality of data channel acquisition procedures if the determined priority score is above at least one priority score threshold, each of the plurality of data channel acquisition procedures configured to obtain the given data channel in order to service the received request.