Reduction in signalling load in a wireless communication system

A wireless communication system (100, 200) comprises an infrastructure element that allocates wireless resources to one of a plurality of wireless communication units (112-116) dependent upon an operational state of the wireless communication unit. The infrastructure element transitions the wireless communication unit between a plurality of operational states based on a variable service or quality of service accessed by the wireless communication unit. The transitions, preferably used in a Radio Resource Controller (RRC) state model, are based on the QoS class of the service that the communication unit is using. An improvement in signalling load results from reduced signalling procedures required for mobility management, session management and RRC connection management.