Abstract: A gateway architecture for data communication over bandwidth-constrained and charge-by-use networks (10) uses a C_Gate application (14) located between a client application (12) and a bandwidth-constrained network (22), and an S_Gate application (20) located between the bandwidth-constrained network (22) and an Internet server (26), to send and receive data in an efficient manner across the bandwidth-constrained network (22) by converting the native protocols of the client application (12) and the Internet server (26) to a bandwidth-efficient protocol. The C_Gate application (14) and S_Gate application (20) also act to reconvert data packets from the bandwidth-efficient protocol back to the native transport protocols for data communication to the Internet server (26) and the client application (12).

Abstract: A gateway architecture for data communication over bandwidth-constrained and charge-by-use networks (10) uses a C.sub.-- Gate application (14) located between a client application (12) and a bandwidth-constrained network (22), and an S.sub.-- Gate application (20) located between the bandwidth-constrained network (22) and an Internet server (26), to send and receive data in an efficient manner across the bandwidth-constrained network (22) by converting the native protocols of the client application (12) and the Internet server (26) to a bandwidth-efficient protocol. The C.sub.-- Gate application (14) and S.sub.-- Gate application (20) also act to reconvert data packets from the bandwidth-efficient protocol back to the native transport protocols for data communication to the Internet server (26) and the client application (12).