Handling of traffic congestion messages for wireless communication devices in wireless communication systems

A wireless communication system, comprising:

• a control node of the wireless communication system configured to monitor a traffic congestion message transferred by a radio access network of the wireless communication system for delivery to a congestion mitigation node responsive to user traffic congestion for a wireless communication device in the radio access network;
• the control node configured to identify a destination network for the traffic congestion message;
• when the destination network indicates a congestion mitigation node in a roaming wireless communication system, the control node is configured to withhold delivery of the traffic congestion message to the congestion mitigation node in the roaming wireless communication system and transfer a custom traffic congestion message for delivery to a roamer congestion mitigation node in the roaming wireless communication system configured to handle wireless communication devices that are roaming onto the serving wireless communication system;
• when the destination network indicates a congestion mitigation node in the wireless communication system, the control node is configured to allow delivery of the traffic congestion message to the congestion mitigation node in the wireless communication system.

A method of operating a control node of a serving wireless communication system presently providing wireless access to communication services for wireless communication devices, the method comprising:

• monitoring traffic congestion messages transferred by a radio access network of the serving wireless communication system for delivery to congestion mitigation nodes responsive to user traffic congestion for the wireless communication devices receiving the wireless access in the radio access network;
• identifying if the traffic congestion messages are associated with roaming ones of the wireless communication devices roaming onto the serving wireless communication system;
• when the traffic congestion messages are associated with the roaming ones of the wireless communication devices roaming onto the serving wireless communication system, inhibiting delivery of the associated traffic congestion messages to home wireless communication systems associated with the roaming ones of the wireless communication devices and redirecting the associated traffic congestion messages to at least one predetermined congestion mitigation node in the serving wireless communication system configured to handle the traffic congestion messages that are associated with the roaming ones of the wireless communication devices;
• when the traffic congestion messages are associated with home ones of the wireless communication devices homed by the serving wireless communication system, allowing delivery of the associated traffic congestion messages to congestion mitigation nodes of the serving wireless communication system.