Architecture for cellular networks

A method for transmitting data packets in a cellular network to user equipment using a first distributed access gateway, comprising:

• receiving a first data packet from the user equipment;
• determining the network address of the user equipment associated with a second distributed access gateway;
• establishing a first tunnel with the second distributed access gateway associated with the user equipment;
• transmitting the first data packet from the user equipment to the second distributed access gateway via the first tunnel, wherein the first distributed access gateway and the second distributed access gateway each sustain its own unique set of globally routable network prefixes and the user equipment has an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the first distributed access gateway, and the user equipment is directly connected to the second distributed access gateway at the network layer (L3).

A distributed access gateway, comprising:

• a data storage unit;
• a network interface;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• receive a first tunnel request from a second distributed access gateway;
• establish a first tunnel with the second distributed access gateway;
• receive a first data packet destined to user equipment from a native packet transport network;
• and
• transmit the first data packet to the user equipment via the first tunnel to the second distributed access gateway, wherein the first distributed access gateway and the second distributed access gateway each sustain its own unique set of globally routable network prefixes and the user equipment has an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the first distributed access gateway, and the user equipment is directly connected to the second distributed access gateway at the network layer (L3).