Base-station provided access to IMS services

A system comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium;
• program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:
• cause a first RAN component to send a registration message to an IMS network in order to register the first RAN component with the IMS network, wherein the IMS registration message provides an IP address at which to register the first RAN component;
• receive a service request from a first access terminal, wherein the first RAN component is a serving RAN component for the first access terminal;
• and
• in response to the service request, cause the first RAN component to engage in an IMS service on behalf of the first access terminal, wherein engaging in the IMS service on behalf of the first access terminal comprises sending the IMS network a first initiation message for a session event, wherein the first initiation message comprises:
• (i) a field that identifies the first access terminal and (ii) a field that includes an IP address of a second RAN component that serves a target access terminal;
• wherein the first initiation message is an indication to the IMS network to initiate the session event with a transmission of a second initiation message to the IP address of the second RAN component, wherein the second initiation message comprises a field that that identifies the target access terminal.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

• sending a registration message from a first radio access network (RAN) component to an IMS network in order to register the first RAN component with the IMS network, wherein the IMS registration message provides an IP address at which to register the first RAN component;
• receiving, at the first RAN component, a service request from a first access terminal, wherein the first RAN component is a serving RAN component for the first access terminal;
• and
• in response to receiving the service request, operating the first RAN component to engage in an IMS service on behalf of the first access terminal, wherein the first RAN component engages in the IMS service on behalf of the first access terminal comprises sending the IMS network a first initiation message for a session event, wherein the first initiation message comprises:
• (i) a field that identifies the first access terminal and (ii) a field that includes an IP address of a second RAN component that serves a target access terminal;
• wherein the first initiation message indicates to the IMS network to initiate the session event with a transmission of a second initiation message to the IP address of the second RAN component, wherein the second initiation message comprises a field that that identifies the target access terminal.