Access Network Collective Admission Control

A gateway node configured to provide congestion mitigation, comprising:

• an inbound interface for receiving data from a plurality of base stations;
• an outbound backhaul interface for sending data toward a mobile operator core network;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• assess a congestion state in a multi-node radio access network having a shared backhaul connection, the congestion state based on congestion of the shared backhaul connection;
• retrieve an admission control policy based on the congestion state of the shared backhaul connection;
• perform a policy action of the admission control policy at a first base station acting as a gateway for the multi-node radio access network with respect to the shared backhaul connection;
• and
• send the admission control policy to other nodes in the multi-node radio access network, thereby causing the other nodes to perform the policy action,
• wherein the policy action is denying a request from a user equipment to attach to the radio access network.