Unlicensed-radio access networks in a mobile communications system

An unlicensed-radio access system connected to a core network portion of a licensed mobile network, said unlicensed-radio access system including:

• a plurality of access points adapted to communicate with mobile stations over an unlicensed-radio interface, a plurality of access network controllers connected to said core network portion and a broadband network connected to both said access points and said access network controllers,
• wherein each said access network controller is associated with a location area in said licensed radio mobile network,
• said system furthermore being provided with at least one lookup table containing information mapping location areas to address information of access network controllers on said broadband network,
• wherein each access point is arranged to receive from a mobile station information indicative of a location area corresponding to a portion of said licensed mobile network, to obtain from said lookup table address information of an access network controller on said broadband network associated with said location area information, and to establish a connection with said addressed access network controller via said broadband network.

A method for establishing a connection between a mobile terminal and a core network portion of a mobile communications network via an unlicensed-radio access network, said mobile communications network comprising:

• access portions including base stations and switching control parts connected to said base stations, each switching control part sharing a common location area identity with a plurality of said base stations and said base stations being arranged to communicate said location area identity to a mobile terminal, said unlicensed-radio access network comprising at least one access point arranged to communicate with a mobile station via an unlicensed-radio interface, at least one access network controller each connected to a switching control part, a broadband network connected to said at least one access network controller and access point and a lookup table containing data mapping a location area identity with an address of one of said access network controllers on said broadband network, said method including the steps of:
• a default access network controller receiving information indicative of a location area identity from a mobile terminal via an access point;
• said default access network controller submitting a request to said lookup table using said location area identity information;
• receiving from said lookup table an address on said broadband access network of an access network controller associated with said location area identity;
• and
• relaying said address to said mobile terminal via said access point to enable said mobile terminal to establish a connection with said addressed access network controller via said access point and broadband network.

An unlicensed-radio access network controller connected to a core network portion of a licensed mobile network and to a plurality of access points via broadband network, wherein said access network controller is arranged to communicate with a lookup table containing information mapping location areas to address information for addressing access network controllers on said broadband network,

• said access network controller being further arranged:
• to serve a mobile terminal as a default access network controller, and
• to receive from said mobile terminal information indicative of a location area corresponding to a portion of said licensed mobile network,
• to obtain from said lookup table address information of an access network controller on said broadband network associated with said location area information, and
• to transmit said address information to said mobile station.