Abstract: An access point, or base station, for a mobile communications network, such as a cellular communications network, can be installed by a user, for use within or close to their own home or office. The base station has a SIM card, and can establish secure communications with the core network of the mobile communications network over the user's existing broadband internet connection. The base station is also able to obtain the necessary ciphering keys, in order to allow the mobile device to communicate securely with the base station, and hence with the core network.

Abstract: A basestation for a cellular communications system includes back-to-back software stacks for terminating messages from a mobile station intended for the core network, and for recreating the messages in a form suitable for transmission to the core network, and further for terminating messages from the core network intended for a mobile station, and for recreating the messages in a form suitable for transmission to the mobile station.

Abstract: A basestation for a cellular communication system is intended for purchase and deployment by a customer, rather than by the network operator. After installation, the position of the basestation is determined by detecting signals transmitted by neighbouring basestations. By detecting a position relative to multiple neighbouring basestations, the location of the basestation can be determined to a sufficient degree of accuracy.

Abstract: In a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system in which a Serving GPRS Support Node operates a leaky bucket algorithm to control data flow, a packet control unit in the base station is arranged so that on connection of a new mobile, a flow control message in the form of new values of B the maximum bucket capacity and R the leak rate is sent to the Serving GPRS Support Node only when it is known that the new connection is non-bursty. In the Temporary Block Flow queue for the new connection, a threshold is set at a queue length which ensures that at least two Logical Link Layer-Protocol Data Units are received before the threshold is reached. New values of B and R are then sent, the new value of B being related to the maximum data capacity of the newly connected mobile.

Abstract: A packet control unit for a radio telecommunications system such as GPRS has a radio link control/medium access control blocks scheduler which allocates a number of temporary block flow queues to a timeslot for transmission to a mobile system; a fixed allocation table is provided having allocation slots corresponding to RAC blocks, and the RAC blocks scheduler reads the table cyclically and allocates slots according to the reading. Timeslots are requested later during increased demand conditions and are released earlier during decreasing demand conditions than in currently known arrangements.

Abstract: In a radio telecommunications system such as GSM in which a serving node operates the leaky bucket algorithm to control flow of packet data to a packet control unit and a virtual queue of data is formed in the control unit, upper and lower triggers BVC(u), BVC(l) are provided on the queue, and when the queue reaches the upper trigger, the packet control unit sends a request to the node to alter the leak rate R of the leaky bucket algorithm so as to reduce the data flow rate. When the lower trigger BVC(l) is reached, the control unit sends values of R and of Bmax, the maximum bucket size of the leaky bucket algorithm, to the node so that the length of the virtual queue is maintained close to the value of Bmax. Bmax is proportional to the number of allocated timeslots.

Abstract: In order to establish a reliable connection with a mobile station in a GSM/GPRS system for external packet services initiated from an external packet data network (PDN), the GGSN acting as a gateway to the external data network maintains a table associating the IMSI of each mobile station with the PDP address for each context activated for the respective mobile station. The information is compiled in the GGSN from data obtained when individual mobile stations initiate a context activation procedure. Contexts are activated according to GSM standard 03.60. The table also includes the Access Point Name (APN) for each connected PDN, the last recorded SGSN together with time of recording, and entries relating to non-reachable mobile stations. These items are updated during the course of context activation procedures.

Abstract: In a radio telecommunications system such as GSM in which a serving node operates the leaky bucket algorithm to control flow of packet data to a packet control unit and a virtual queue of data is formed in the control unit, upper and lower triggers BVC(u), BVC(l) are provided on the queue, and when the queue reaches the upper trigger, the packet control unit sends a request to the node to alter the leak rate R of the leaky bucket algorithm so as to reduce the data flow rate. When the lower trigger BVC(l) is reached, the control unit sends values of R and of Bmax, the maximum bucket size of the leaky bucket algorithm, to the node so that the length of the virtual queue is maintained close to the value of Bmax. Bmax is proportional to the number of allocated timeslots.

Abstract: In a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system in which a Serving GPRS Support Node operates a leaky bucket algorithm to control data flow, a packet control unit in the base station is arranged so that on connection of a new mobile, a flow control message in the form of new values of B the maximum bucket capacity and R the leak rate is sent to the Serving GPRS Support Node only when it is known that the new connection is non-bursty. In the Temporary Block Flow queue for the new connection, a threshold is set at a queue length which ensures that at least two Logical Link Layer-Protocol Data Units are received before the threshold is reached. New values of B and R are then sent, the new value of B being related to the maximum data capacity of the newly connected mobile.

Abstract: A packet control unit for a radio telecommunications system such as GPRS has a radio link control/medium access control blocks scheduler which allocates a number of temporary block flow queues to a timeslot for transmission to a mobile system; a fixed allocation table is provided having allocation slots corresponding to RAC blocks, and the RAC blocks scheduler reads the table cyclically and allocates slots according to the reading. Timeslots are requested later during increased demand conditions and are released earlier during decreasing demand conditions than in currently known arrangements.