OPTIMISING CONTENT DELIVERY VIA UNICAST AND MULTICAST SERVICES OF A PUBLIC LAND MOBILE NETWORK

摘要

A method of delivering streaming media from a media source to a group of user terminals where those user terminals are located within a given cell of a Public Land Mobile Network. The method comprises delivering said streaming media from said media source to the user terminals via respective unicast sessions and, at said media source, monitoring the number and capabilities of user terminals within said group. The method further comprises, in dependence upon the number and capabilities of user terminals within said group, at said media source initiating a switch from said unicast sessions to a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service, MBMS, broadcast session by signalling to a Broadcast-Multicast Service Centre, BM-SC, and, at said BM-SC, signalling to said user terminals to cause the user terminals to switch from receiving media via the respective unicast sessions to receiving media via said broadcast session, and commencing delivery of the streaming media via the MBMS broadcast session.A switch from MBMS multicast to unicast sessions is als provided for.