Moving cellular communication system operative in an emergency mode

An emergency communication method for a moving cellular communication system forming part of a cellular communication network having a core element, the method comprising:

• providing at least one emergency moving relay including:
• at least one base station functionality serving at least one mobile station;
• at least one mobile station functionality providing at least one backhauling link toward the core element;
• and a relay resource manager operative to manage at least one resource pertaining to at least one of the base station functionality and mobile station functionality, all co-located;
• and
• providing the relay resource manager with a core functionality operative, selectably, to take over at least one core function performed by said core element, for said at least one mobile station served by said base station functionality.

A moving cellular communication system comprising:

• at least one moving relay including at least one base station functionality and at least one mobile station functionality and a relay resource manager, all co-located,
• at least one emergency moving relay from among said moving relays further including
• a simulated stationary network that includes a simulated IP connectivity gateway operative to communicate with a simulated mobility management entity;
• said simulated stationary network simulates the operation of a stationary network;
• said emergency moving relay being a root of a sub tree that includes at least one moving relay and at least one mobile station, and is configured to utilize its mobile station functionality, base station functionality and relay resource manager for operating in at least the following modes of operations:
• (i) normal mode of operation wherein the emergency moving relay communicates with other relays in the network and with the stationary network;
• (ii) in response to an emergency event, operating in an emergency mode of operation, including:
• a. communicating to a designated mobile station in the sub-tree each message that was received from a moving relay or a mobile station in said sub-tree and said message having an IP address of the designated mobile station;
• or
• b. communicating to said simulated stationary network each message that was received from a moving relay or a mobile station in said sub-tree and having an IP address that does not match any mobile station in the sub-tree.