Telecommunications network broadcasting of service capabilities

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with the present invention, a base station broadcasts (e.
g.
, in a BCCH message) a capabilities message which includes a supported service bitmap that is decoded by all user equipment units.
For each service (e.
g.
, radio access technology type and generation), the bitmap contains a bit indicating whether that radio access technology type and generation is available from the serving cell (i.
e.
, confirming that coverage exists and selection or handover is possible).
In addition, the capabilities message contains one or more preferred network identifiers (PNIs).
For example, for GSM the preferred network identifiers can include the mobile country code (MCC) and the mobile network code (MNC) or some form of base station identity code (BSIC).
These preferred network identifiers correspond to the preferred network(s) for each available radio access technology type and generation.
Upon receipt of the bitmap, the mobile user equipment unit scans the bitmap to find a radio access technology type and generation which it can utilize, and selects the preferred network, if possible.
For the utilizable radio access technology type, the user equipment unit fetches the preferred network identifier from the BCCH broadcast message and uses the preferred network identifier for call set up and registering the location of the user equipment unit.
The present invention also address the handover situation by providing the user equipment unit with information to steer the handover measurements.
A handover requirements message broadcast by the network provides the user equipment unit with a bitmap indicating the radio access technology types and generations for which the base station requires the user equipment unit to make handover measurements and reports.
The handover requirements message can be on the same or similar channel as the capabilities message, or a specific handover message).
Each base station controller or radio network controller knows the capabilities of adjacent base stations in its own network or co-operative networks