METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING SIP/IMS-BASED FEMTOCELLS

A femtocell is integrated into a core network so as to securely and efficiently deliver one or more mobile services to an end user on an existing mobile device over a broadband connection. This integration can be into a basic Internet Protocol (IP)-based network, or an IMS-based network. In an illustrated embodiment, a femtocell is integrated to a SIP- or IMS-based network using a "convergence" server. The convergence server preferably is a SIP-based fixed mobile convergence (FMC) application server that provides an all-IP approach to core network integration for femtocells. The convergence server provides a number of high level functions including secure access of an end user mobile device into the core network through the femtocell (which involves authenticating the femtocell as well as a specific end user mobile device), single number voice and messaging services (by updating an end user's location to be the femtocell), mobility (to support handover between the femtocell and macro cell networks), delivery of supplementary services (such as call waiting, call hold, caller ID, three-way calling, and the like) on the femtocell network, and the delivery of new and advanced services (such as home landline routing, mobile TV, multimedia downloads and the like).