Importance

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Abstract

The present invention provides a wireless telecommunications system, subscriber terminal, method and computer program for routing data packets and voice calls between a network and the subscriber terminal of the wireless telecommunications system. The subscriber terminal is connectable to a central terminal of the wireless telecommunications system via a radio resource, the wireless telecommunications system providing multiple communication channels arranged to utilise the radio resource for the transmission of signals to and from the subscriber terminal, and a number of the communication channels being formed as a packet group for transmission of data packets to and from the subscriber terminal. The wireless telecommunications system comprises a packet controller connectable to the network and arranged to control the transmission of data packets to the subscriber terminal over the communication channels of the packet group. Furthermore, within the subscriber terminal, a plurality of communications units are provided to enable the subscriber terminal to transmit and receive signals over a corresponding plurality of the multiple communication channels, and a subscriber controller is also provided which is arranged, when no voice call is being made, to cause the plurality of communications units to monitor a corresponding plurality of the communication channels of the packet group, the subscriber controller being further arranged to issue a channels message to the packet controller identifying the communication channels within the packet group being monitored. When a voice call is to be made, the subscriber controller is arranged to assign one of the plurality of communications units to the voice call, thereby reducing the number of communications units available to monitor the communication channels of the packet group, and the subscriber controller is arranged to re-issue the channels message to the packet controller identifying the communication channels within the packet group being monitored. By this approach, the wireless telecommunications system can be optimised for the handling of data packets, whilst still facilitating the handling of voice calls without increasing the number of communications units that need to be provided within the subscriber terminal.

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First Claim