Information transmission rate control across a core network

A wireless telecommunications system, comprising:

• at least one access network connected to a core network;
• a first mobile terminal and a second mobile terminal in communication with each other across the core network via the at least one access network;
• a first telecommunication node and a second telecommunication node adapted to set information transmission rates to and from the first and second mobile terminals;
• and
• a first air interface and a second air interface comprising, respectively, the first and second telecommunication nodes, wherein the first and second interfaces are adapted to control air interface resources and monitor the availability of the resources;
• the at least first and second mobile terminals communicating with the at least one access network across the first and second air interfaces;
• wherein the first and second telecommunications nodes respectively are each adapted to signal to a remote node the maximum information transmission rate supportable by the first and the second air interfaces, the remote node adapted to compare the maximum information transmission rates that can be supported by the first and second interfaces, wherein each maximum information transmission rate is dependent upon a Coder-Decoder used by each mobile terminal and information transmitted between each mobile terminal and each telecommunications node.

A method for controlling the rate of information transmission between first and second endpoints that communicate with each other via access networks separated by a core network, information transmission rates between the first and second endpoints and a respective air interface with an access network being respectively set by first and second telecommunication nodes, wherein the first and second telecommunication nodes are adapted to maximum information transmission rate respectively across the first and the second air interfaces, the method including the steps of:

• signaling by the first and second telecommunications nodes respectively to a remote node the maximum information transmission rate supportable by the first and the second air interfaces;
• comparing the maximum information transmission rates supportable by the first and second air interfaces;
• and
• setting the information transmission rate of each endpoint to a rate not exceeding that of the lower of the maximum information air interface transmission rates, wherein each maximum information transmission rates is dependent upon a Coder-Decoder used by each endpoint and information transmitted between each endpoint and by the first and second telecommunications nodes respectively.

A method for controlling the transmission rate for a communication session between at least two endpoints via respective air interfaces to access networks in communication with a core network, the method comprising the steps of:

• signaling by a first telecommunication node operable to monitor a first air interface, the first telecommunication node signaling to communicate a first maximum air interface transmission rate to a remote node, the first maximum air interface transmission rate being the current maximum supportable rate for communication by a first endpoint with its respective access network via the first air interface;
• comparing a second maximum air interface transmission rate with the first maximum air interface transmission rate, the second maximum air interface transmission rate being the current maximum supportable rate for communication by a second endpoint with its respective access network via a second air interface;
• and
• setting the communication session transmission rate at a rate not greater than the lowest of the first maximum air interface transmission rate and the second maximum air interface transmission rate, wherein each maximum information transmission rates is dependent upon a Coder-Decoder used by each endpoint and information transmitted between each endpoint and by the first and second telecommunications nodes respectively.