Radio network control

A computer program product, on a computer readable medium tangibly embodied in an information carrier, and to work in a wireless network including a first and a second radio network controller and a first and a second radio node, the computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

• establish a first session for a first access terminal on the first radio network controller via the first radio node,
• establish a second session for a second access terminal on the second radio network controller via the second radio node,
• establish a first traffic channel between the first access terminal and the first radio network controller,
• communicate first packets over the first traffic channel between the first radio node and the first radio network controller without the first packets passing through the second radio network controller,
• maintain the first traffic channel as the first access terminal moves from a coverage area of the first radio node to a coverage area of the second radio node, and
• while the first access terminal remains in an active state in any portion of the coverage area of the second radio node, communicate second packets over the first traffic channel between the first access terminal the first radio network controller using the second radio node and without the second packets passing through another radio network controller.

A wireless network comprising,

• a first radio network controller,
• a second radio network controller,
• a first radio node,
• a second radio node,
• a first access terminal that is associated with a first session established on the first radio network controller via the first radio node and a first traffic channel established with the first radio network controller, the first access terminal communicating first packets over the first traffic channel, between the first radio node and the first radio network controller without the first packets passing through the second radio network controller, and
• a second access terminal that is associated with a second session established on the second radio network controller via the second radio node,
• wherein the first traffic channel is maintained as the first access terminal moves from a coverage area of the first radio node to a coverage area of the second radio node, and
• wherein second packets are communicated between the first access terminal and the first radio network controller using the second radio node and without the second packets passing through the second radio network controller while the first access terminal remains in an active state in any portion of the coverage area of the second radio node.