Abstract: A sending user unit (400) provides data, intended to multiple receiving user units (410-430), to a communications server (100). The server (100) identifies a set of at least two receiving user units (410-412; 420-424) that participate in the session and are associated with a same cell (15; 25). The set of user units (410-412; 420-424) are identified based on session identifiers (144) and cell identifiers (146) stored in an associated database (140). The data from the sending user unit (400) is then simultaneously transmitted to the receiving user units (410-412; 420-424) in a point-to multipoint manner using a same dedicated channel specific for the cell (15, 25) in which the user units (410-412; 420-424) of set are present. The invention is in particular applicable to Push to talk over cellular (PoC) and other group-based data communications services.

Abstract: A method is described herein that enables data traffic to be routed seamlessly to a mobile station which is located in a Second Generation/Third Generation (2G/3G) network and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). In one embodiment of the present invention, the mobile station (MS) receives a signal (e.g., System Information (SI) signal) from a base station system (BSS) which informs the MS that it should check for the presence of one or more WLANs. The MS then scans for beacons that are emitted from one or more WLANs. Once, the MS receives a beacon from a WLAN it can access that WLAN. To access the WLAN, the MS could send a signal to the BSS informing the BSS and possibly a gateway GPRS service node (GGSN) that it has received a beacon from the WLAN. Then, the MS can receive a signal from the BSS (or GGSN) which contains information (e.g., password, encrypted key) that enables the MS to access the WLAN.