A base station, having a membership-based access mode and a non-membership-based access mode, manages a list of stored membership identifiers

摘要

A communication system 1 in which a base station, such as a Home Node B (HNB) 11, operating as a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell in a hybrid or closed access mode, requests updating or deletion of a stored list of Closed Subscriber Group Identifiers (CSG-IDs) currently assigned to the HNB 11 and maintained at a corresponding Mobility Management Entity (MME) 6 in the core network 8. A request for deletion of the stored list of CSG-IDs may comprise a configuration message that does not include a list of CSG-IDs or that includes data indicating that the HNB 11 has changed to operate as a non-CSG cell in an open access mode. Alternatively, a request for updating of the stored list may comprise a configuration message that includes CSG-IDs to be added to and/or maintained in the list.