Simulcasting or multicasting of multimedia call sessions in a LAN/WLAN/PAN via a broadband access gateway

A method supporting simulcasting of wide area network calls via a broadband access gateway, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a wireless wide area network via a broadband network, multimedia information also received wirelessly by a first of a plurality of access devices via a simulcast transmission directly from the wireless wide area network, wherein the simulcast transmission to the gateway is initiated by the wireless wide area network according to user-established associations of the first of the plurality of access devices and the gateway and of the gateway and the wireless wide area network, known to the wireless wide area network;
• establishing with a second of the plurality of access devices, via at least one wireless interface, a call path for communication of the multimedia information to the second of the plurality of access devices;
• and
• communicating the multimedia information to the second of the plurality of access devices, via the at least one wireless interface.

A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections for operating a gateway supporting simulcasting of wireless wide area network calls via a broadband network, the code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

• receiving a request to establish call communication via a first path;
• receiving, at the gateway from a wireless wide area network via the first path, multimedia information also received by a first access device via a simulcast transmission directly from the wireless wide area network using a wireless second path, wherein simulcast transmission of the multimedia information to the gateway is initiated by the wireless wide area network according to user-defined associations of the first access device and the gateway and of the gateway and the wireless wide area network, known to the wireless wide area network;
• accepting, at the gateway, a request to establish call communication via a third path;
• and
• transmitting the received multimedia information to one or both of:
• the first access device and/or a second access device via the third path.

A system supporting simulcasting of a wide area network call via a broadband access gateway, the system comprising:

• at least one processor operably coupled to at least one wireless interface and to a broadband network, the at least one processor operable to, at least:
• receive from a wireless wide area network via the broadband network, multimedia information also received wirelessly by a first of a plurality of access devices via a simulcast transmission directly from the wireless wide area network, wherein the simulcast transmission to the gateway is initiated by the wireless wide area network according to user-defined associations of the first of the plurality of access devices and the gateway and of the gateway and the wireless wide area network, known to the wireless wide area network;
• establish with a second of the plurality of access devices, via the at least one wireless interface, a call path for communication of the multimedia information to the second of the plurality of access devices;
• and
• communicate the multimedia information to the second of the plurality of access devices, via the at least one wireless interface.