Abstract: A telecommunications system (10) has a radio access network comprising plural control nodes (26) and inter-control node links (Iur) for connecting the plural control nodes. A handover selection function (200) makes a selection regarding which of plural connections handled by the radio access network should have control thereof moved from a first control node (e.g., current SRNC) to another of the plural control nodes (e.g., target SRNC) to alleviate congestion on an overloaded one of the inter-control node links. The selection includes a determination of a cost for each of the connections carried by the overloaded link. The cost of each of the connections carried by the overloaded link is a product of a number of inter-control links involved in the connection and an inter-control link bandwidth required by the connection.

Abstract: A telecommunications network (110) has a unit (100) and technique to alleviate congestion on a congested link as can occur, e.g., when a new connection seeks admission to the network. The congestion avoidance technique/unit ascertains, from a set of candidate connections (C0, C1, C2, C3), a best candidate to route in order to avoid the congestion. Further, the congestion avoidance technique/unit determines a best candidate path to which the best candidate connection is to be routed. The best candidate connection and the best candidate path are determined so that, after routing the best candidate connection to the best candidate path, a load of the weakest link in the network is as low as possible.

Abstract: A mobile telecommunications system comprises a mobile user equipment unit and at least one node through which a packet switched data session is established between the user equipment unit and a data network. One of the node and the user equipment unit serves as a transmitter of segments of data packets and the other of the node and the user equipment unit serves as a receiver of the segments of data packets. If the first lost segment is not received within a timed interval, and if a second lost segment is also lost during the timed interval, at expiration of the timed interval the receiver sends a selective acknowledgment message to the transmitter which requests retransmission of both the first lost segment and the second lost segment. The acknowledgment messages of the system have a unique format including start sequence number and a variable size bitmap field.

Abstract: A telecommunications network (110) has a unit (100) and technique to alleviate congestion on a congested link as can occur, e.g., when a new connection seeks admission to the network. The congestion avoidance technique/unit ascertains, from a set of candidate connections (C0, C1, C2, C3), a best candidate to route in order to avoid the congestion. Further, the congestion avoidance technique/unit determines a best candidate path to which the best candidate connection is to be routed. The best candidate connection and the best candidate path are determined so that, after routing the best candidate connection to the best candidate path, a load of the weakest link in the network is as low as possible.

Abstract: A telecommunications system (10) has a radio access network comprising plural control nodes (26) and inter-control node links (Iur) for connecting the plural control nodes. A handover selection function (200) makes a selection regarding which of plural connections handled by the radio access network should have control thereof moved from a first control node (e.g., current SRNC) to another of the plural control nodes (e.g., target SRNC) to alleviate congestion on an overloaded one of the inter-control node links. The selection includes a determination of a cost for each of the connections carried by the overloaded link. The cost of each of the connections carried by the overloaded link is a product of a number of inter-control links involved in the connection and an inter-control link bandwidth required by the connection.