Packet radio communications system

A method of communicating Internet packets to and/or from a mobile user equipment using a packet radio communications system, the packet radio communications system including a core network, a plurality of radio access networks and a packet service control subsystem function, the core network including a plurality of packet data networks, each including network communications elements for communicating Internet packets using an Internet protocol transport plane, and a common gateway support node, the plurality of radio access networks being connected by the Internet protocol transport plane to the packet data networks, the method comprising:

• establishing packet data communications bearers through the Internet protocol transport plane of the packet data networks using the network communications elements,
• routing the Internet packets via at least one of the established packet data communications bearers,
• providing radio access bearers using the plurality of radio access networks connected by the Internet protocol transport plane to the network communication elements of the packet data networks,
• communicating the Internet packets to and/or from the one or more mobile user equipment via the radio access bearers,
• controlling a selection of the radio access networks for communicating the Internet packets via the radio access bearers using an access network part of the packet service control subsystem function, and
• controlling the communication of the Internet packets via the packet data communications bearers using a non-access network part of the packet service control subsystem function, wherein at least one of the plurality of packet data networks is arranged to operate in accordance with a telecommunications standard which is different from the telecommunications standard in accordance with which the plurality of packet data networks are arranged to operate.

An apparatus for communicating Internet packets to and/or from a plurality of mobile user equipment using a packet radio communications system, the system including a core network, a plurality of radio access networks and a packet service control subsystem function, the core network including a plurality of packet data networks, each including network communications elements for communicating Internet packets using an Internet protocol transport plane, and a common gateway support node, the plurality of radio access networks being connected by the Internet protocol transport plane to the packet data networks, the packet radio communications system comprising:

• means for establishing packet data communications bearers through the Internet protocol transport plane of the packet data networks using the network communications elements,
• means for routing the Internet packets via the established packet data communications bearers,
• means for providing radio access bearers using the plurality of radio access networks connected by the Internet protocol transport plane to the core network components of the packet data networks,
• means for communicating the Internet packets to and/or from the one or more mobile user equipment via the radio access bearers, the apparatus including:
• means for controlling a selection of the radio access networks for communicating the Internet packets via the radio access bearers using the access network part of the packet service control subsystem function, and
• means for controlling the communication of the Internet packets via the packet data communications bearers using a non-access network part of the packet service control subsystem function, wherein at least one of the plurality of packet data networks is arranged to operate in accordance with a telecommunications standard which is different from the telecommunications standard in accordance with which the plurality of packet data networks are arranged to operate.