Method for protecting against overload in a mobile communication network

A system for protecting against overload of a multipoint-to-point channel of a mobile communication network, said multipoint-to-point channel being provided by a radio access network for the mobile communication network in order to enable a plurality of mobile communication means to access the mobile communication network, wherein each mobile communication means can attach to the multipoint-to-point channel to provide processing requests to the mobile communication network, in particular to a packet switching node of the mobile communication network, comprising:

• means for receiving a processing request wherein said processing request is associated with one of at least two different request types;
• means for detecting the request type of the received request;
• means for counting the number of mobile communication means presently attached to the multipoint-to-point channel;
• means for determining, based on the counted number of attached mobile communication means,
• a present load on the multipoint-to-point channel and
• a level of processor utilization on a processor, in said packet switching node, used for request processing;
• means for deciding whether to reject or to accept the request for processing, wherein the decision is based on the detected request type and on the determined present load of the multipoint-to-point channel.