A
telecommunications system is arranged to provide a facility for communicating data to and from a mobile node using an
internet protocol. The
system includes a first home
access network, which includes a home gateway node, a second visited
access network, which includes a visited serving gateway node, and a
wireless access gateway operable to communicate data to and from the mobile node using
the internet protocol. The mobile node is operable to communicate a binding update message to the visited serving gateway node of the second visited
access network via the
wireless access gateway using
the internet protocol. The binding update message includes a
unique identifier of the mobile node, and a request for an
internet protocol address for the mobile node as if the mobile node were attached to the first home access network (home
IP address). In one example the
unique identifier is an
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number or the like. The visited serving gateway node of the second visited access network is operable, in response to the binding update message, to identify from the
unique identifier of the mobile node the first home access network of the mobile node and to communicate the request for a home
internet protocol address to the home gateway node. The home gateway node of the first home network is responsive to the request to allocate a home internet protocol address to the mobile node.Embodiments of the present invention provide a mobile node with
roaming facilities as afforded by a 3GPP network, although the mobile node may have attached to a non-3GPP network, by arranging for the visited serving gateway node to connect to a home network of the mobile node, using for example a
GPRS Tunnelling Protocol.