Self-Contained Data Transfer Channel

A data transfer system, comprising:

• a computer processor;
• a computer memory device coupled with the computer processor;
• and
• a channel management application stored in the computer memory and executable by the computer processor to cause the computer processor to:
• establish a data transfer resource in a self-contained data channel between user equipment and a network controller;
• transfer user data between the user equipment and the network controller in the data transfer resource of the self-contained data channel;
• and
• transfer control data between the user equipment and the network controller in the data transfer resource of the self-contained data channel without using a separate control channel between set-up and tear-down of the self-contained data channel.

A data transfer method, comprising:

• receiving a data transfer request at a network controller from user equipment;
• allocating a data transfer resource in a self-contained data channel for the user equipment in response to the data transfer request;
• transmitting an identification of the data transfer resource from the network controller to the user equipment;
• and
• instructing the user equipment to use in-band control signaling in the self-contained data channel.