Abstract: An example method is provided and may include retrieving by a user equipment (UE) an access point (AP) Media Access Control (MAC) address for an AP to which the UE is connected; reporting location information for the UE to an evolved Packet Data Gateway over an SWu interface using Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol, wherein the location information includes, at least in part, a UE location in GPS coordinates, a service set identifier, the retrieved AP MAC address and cell identity information for the UE; and populating a location database with the location information. The method can include embedding the location information in an identity initiator (Idi) of an IKE Authentication Request (IKE_AUTH_REQ) message using a Network Access Identifier (NAI) and communicating the location information from the ePDG to a PGW over an S2b interface using a private extension information element of GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2).

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes configuring a network element for load balancing based on input provided by a mobile gateway, where the configuring includes selecting an instance of a service flow router control function (SFR-C) at the network element based on an Internet protocol (IP) address assigned to a subscriber. The subscriber flow rules can be provided to a service flow user plane of the network element. The configuring may also include selecting a subscriber service proxy (SSP) based on a particular load balancing criterion, where a forwarding plane of the network element is configured based on the subscriber flow rules, and where a return message is communicated to the SFR-C that includes a particular IP address of the selected SSP.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes configuring a network element for subscriber-specific service chaining and traffic steering, where the configuring includes programming a selected service flow router user plane element with a subscriber context corresponding to a subscriber's session at a subscriber termination function. The subscriber context comprises instructions to steer subscriber traffic through a plurality of services in a network environment.

Abstract: An example method is provided and may include retrieving by a user equipment (UE) an access point (AP) Media Access Control (MAC) address for an AP to which the UE is connected; reporting location information for the UE to an evolved Packet Data Gateway over an SWu interface using Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol, wherein the location information includes, at least in part, a UE location in GPS coordinates, a service set identifier, the retrieved AP MAC address and cell identity information for the UE; and populating a location database with the location information. The method can include embedding the location information in an identity initiator (Idi) of an IKE Authentication Request (IKE_AUTH_REQ) message using a Network Access Identifier (NAI) and communicating the location information from the ePDG to a PGW over an S2b interface using a private extension information element of GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2).

Abstract: An example method is provided and may include retrieving by a user equipment (UE) an access point (AP) Media Access Control (MAC) address for an AP to which the UE is connected; reporting location information for the UE to an evolved Packet Data Gateway over an SWu interface using Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol, wherein the location information includes, at least in part, a UE location in GPS coordinates, a service set identifier, the retrieved AP MAC address and cell identity information for the UE; and populating a location database with the location information. The method can include embedding the location information in an identity initiator (Idi) of an IKE Authentication Request (IKE_AUTH_REQ) message using a Network Access Identifier (NAI) and communicating the location information from the ePDG to a PGW over an S2b interface using a private extension information element of GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2).

Abstract: An example method is provided and may include retrieving by a user equipment (UE) an access point (AP) Media Access Control (MAC) address for an AP to which the UE is connected; reporting location information for the UE to an evolved Packet Data Gateway over an SWu interface using Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol, wherein the location information includes, at least in part, a UE location in GPS coordinates, a service set identifier, the retrieved AP MAC address and cell identity information for the UE; and populating a location database with the location information. The method can include embedding the location information in an identity initiator (Idi) of an IKE Authentication Request (IKE_AUTH_REQ) message using a Network Access Identifier (NAI) and communicating the location information from the ePDG to a PGW over an S2b interface using a private extension information element of GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2).

Abstract: An example method is provided and may include retrieving by a user equipment (UE) an access point (AP) Media Access Control (MAC) address for an AP to which the UE is connected; reporting location information for the UE to an evolved Packet Data Gateway over an SWu interface using Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol, wherein the location information includes, at least in part, a UE location in GPS coordinates, a service set identifier, the retrieved AP MAC address and cell identity information for the UE; and populating a location database with the location information. The method can include embedding the location information in an identity initiator (Idi) of an IKE Authentication Request (IKE_AUTH_REQ) message using a Network Access Identifier (NAI) and communicating the location information from the ePDG to a PGW over an S2b interface using a private extension information element of GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2).

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes configuring a network element for load balancing based on input provided by a mobile gateway, where the configuring includes selecting an instance of a service flow router control function (SFR-C) at the network element based on an Internet protocol (IP) address assigned to a subscriber. The subscriber flow rules can be provided to a service flow user plane of the network element. The configuring may also include selecting a subscriber service proxy (SSP) based on a particular load balancing criterion, where a forwarding plane of the network element is configured based on the subscriber flow rules, and where a return message is communicated to the SFR-C that includes a particular IP address of the selected SSP.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes configuring a network element for subscriber-specific service chaining and traffic steering, where the configuring includes programming a selected service flow router user plane element with a subscriber context corresponding to a subscriber's session at a subscriber termination function. The subscriber context comprises instructions to steer subscriber traffic through a plurality of services in a network environment.