Methods for reducing set-up signaling in a long term evolution system

A method for reducing set-up signaling in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the method comprising:

• at an LTE subsystem performing:
• receiving, from each of one or more user equipment (UE), a first message comprising a virtual channel identifier for a virtual channel on which the UE intends to transmit media, wherein the virtual channel is an information flow between a media source and a set of target UE and is associated with a downlink bearer;
• determining whether the virtual channel is available for a transmission;
• comparing a number of first messages received to a threshold;
• when the number of first messages received is less than the threshold and when the virtual channel is available, sending to each of the one or more UE a response to the first message that allows the connection procedure to proceed;
• and
• when the number of first messages received is greater than the threshold and when the virtual channel is available, sending, to a number of the one or more UE less than the threshold, a response that allows the connection procedure to proceed and sending, to all the other UE that sent the first message, a response that terminates the connection procedure.