Local access to data while roaming with a mobile telephony device

Apparatus for local access to data while roaming with a mobile telephony device at a roaming network, the telephony device being associated with a home network separate from said roaming network, the apparatus being located at said roaming network and comprising:

• a filter having a data packet inspection unit for inspecting packets to identify data packets addressed from said roaming telephony device for use via a home network data packet gateway, and a packet diverter for diverting at least some of said identified packets to a local data packet gateway;
• said filter being further configured to set up a diversion tunnel for additional packets having packet destination information corresponding to said diverted packets, said diversion tunnel being for locally routing said packets having corresponding packet destination address information to said local data packet gateway, said home network providing a subscription-based data service accessible through a portal, wherein said packet diverter is configured to select between packets addressed for said subscription-based service and packets addressed for use outside of said subscription-based service, and diverting only packets intended for said outside use without the need for the home network subscription, wherein said packet diverter is configured to carry out said selecting by determining whether said packet contains a URL that maps to a portal of said home network.

Method for providing local access to data while roaming with a mobile telephony device at a roaming network, the telephony device being associated with a home network separate from said roaming network, the method being carried out at an electronic processor on said roaming network and comprising:

• inspecting packets to identify data packets addressed from said roaming telephony device for use via a home network data packet gateway;
• diverting at least some of said identified packets to a local data packet gateway;
• and
• setting up a diversion tunnel for additional packets having packet information corresponding to said diverted packets, said diversion tunnel directly routing said packets having said corresponding packet information to said local data packet gateway, wherein said inspecting packets is carried out at a GTP signaling relay, data being channeled from said roaming mobile device for said inspecting via a serving GPRS support node—SGSN, wherein a data packet gateway comprises a GGSN—said relay comprising an SGSN/GGSN emulator, emulating an SGSN to the home network GGSN and a GGSN to the roaming network SGSN.