Abstract: The present invention provides a method involving a tamper-resistant module and an authentication server. The method includes receiving, at the tamper-resistant module, information encrypted using a first secret key stored in the authentication server. The method also includes authenticating the authentication server in response to decrypting the information using a second secret key stored in the tamper-resistant module.

Abstract: A system for managing security keys in a wireless network includes a manufacturer certification authority (MCA) for providing a signed digital MCA certificate for installation into a new network element (NE) at the manufacturer's facility prior to the new NE being installed and initialized in the network. The MCA also provides a source of trusted authority for authenticating legacy NEs in the network. The system includes a service provider certification authority for managing certificates and files used by the NEs to communicate securely within the network, a signing server for providing signing services to NEs for authentication, an element manager for providing security key and digital certificate management, and a management agent (MA) for providing proxy functionality of the EM security key services to NEs not directly connected to the EM.

Abstract: A wireless communication system (20) includes a capacity allocation module (35) that adjusts an allocation of an authorized total capacity among a plurality of base stations (22, 24, 26). A disclosed example includes determining a peak capacity requirement for a plurality of base stations at any given time. An authorized capacity corresponds to the peak requirement for the plurality of base stations. The disclosed example includes adjusting an allocation of the authorized total capacity among the plurality of base stations to meet different traffic requirements at each of the base stations at different times.

Abstract: A wireless communication system (20) includes a wireless network (22) that communicates with a plurality of base stations (24) over a backhaul network (26). A disclosed example includes monitoring an amount of control traffic on the backhaul network (26) and dynamically and automatically adjusting an allocation of the backhaul resource for handling the control traffic. A disclosed example automatically allocates a remaining amount of the backhaul resource for handling bearer traffic.