Link establishment in a wireless communication environment

A method comprising:

• monitoring receipt of a protection frame transmitted from a first wireless communication terminal, the protection frame including duration information used for virtual carrier-sensing in an infrastructure network, wherein the monitoring is performed at a second wireless communication terminal;
• receiving the protection frame at the second wireless communication terminal;
• and
• in response to the receiving, communicating data with the first wireless communication terminal via a common medium used by the infrastructure network, wherein one of the first and second wireless communication terminals is configured to use a first access point in the infrastructure and the other one of the first and second wireless communication terminals is external to the infrastructure network and is configured to use a second access point not in the infrastructure network, and the one of the first and second wireless communication terminals operating in the infrastructure network maintains a connection to the infrastructure network while directly communicating with the other one of the first and second wireless communication terminals external to the infrastructure network without using any intermediary terminal.

An apparatus comprising:

• a control unit, and
• at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the control unit, cause the apparatus at least to
• send a protection frame including duration information used for virtual carrier-sensing in an infrastructure network;
• and
• transfer, in response to sending the protection frame, data directly to an external wireless communication device, without using any intermediary terminal, via a common medium used by the infrastructure network, during a time period indicated by the duration information while maintaining a connection to a first access point in the infrastructure network, wherein the external wireless communication device is external to the infrastructure network and is configured for connection to a second access point not in the infrastructure network.

An apparatus comprising:

• a control unit configured for using a first access point, and
• at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the control unit, cause the apparatus at least to
• monitor receipt of a protection frame transmitted from a wireless communication terminal configured to use an external infrastructure network having a first access point, wherein apparatus is configured to use a second access point not in the external infrastructure network, the protection frame including duration information used for virtual carrier-sensing in the external infrastructure network;
• and
• transfer, in response to receipt of the protection frame, data directly to the wireless communication terminal, without using any intermediary terminal, via a common medium used by the external infrastructure network, during a time period indicated by the duration information while the wireless communication terminal maintains a connection to the external infrastructure network.