WO2000064209A1

WO2000064209A1 - Radio communications apparatus and method of communicating data with user terminals

Info

Publication number: WO2000064209A1
Application number: PCT/EP2000/003508
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan Bahrenburg; Emmer Dieter
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 1999-04-16
Filing date: 2000-04-14
Publication date: 2000-10-26
Also published as: GB2349043A; GB9908582D0

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communicating data with a plurality of user terminals (MS, 10), comprising the steps of providing a facility for communicating data with said user terminals (MS, 10) via first radio signals (12) using a fixed wireless access communications network, providing a facility for communicating data with the user terminals (MS, 10) via second radio signals (8) using a mobile radio network, determining whether a user terminal (MS, 10) is substantially stationary or whether the user terminal is mobile, and allocating the terminal to at least one of the fixed and the mobile radio networks, consequent upon whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile, in association with predetermined operating parameters. The operating parameters may be at least one of a priority level for requests for a communications channel by the user terminal, a billing tariff, a hand-off priority and a power control priority. The method and apparatus find application with any combination of fixed and mobile radio networks and in particular networks which operate in accordance with GSM, W-CDMA or TD-CDMA.

Description

Description of invention

Radio communications apparatus and method of communicating data with user terminals

The present invention relates to radio communications apparatuses which operate to communicate data with a plurality of user terminals, which may be fixed or mobile terminals. The present invention also relates to methods of communicating data with a plurality of fixed or mobile user terminals.

Fixed wireless access communications networks operate to provide a facility for communicating data between telecommunications equipment installed at fixed sites such as domestic premises or offices, and a fixed line telecommunications system. For example, the fixed line communications system may be a public switched telephone network so that the fixed wireless access network provides the final link between the domestic premises and the telephone network. In this way, connection to the public switched telephone network may be arranged without requiring a cable to be provided between an exchange of the public switched telephone network and the fixed site. This is particularly advantageous because the cable must usually be buried in the ground at significant expense. A characteristic of fixed wireless access networks, is that the telecommunications equipment to which the wireless communications link is provided is typically, but not exclusively stationary. This is because, the telecommunications equipment which is operated within the fixed site is permanently assigned to that site, so that both transmitter and receivers on either side of the radio communications link formed between the fixed site and the local exchange are stationary. However an operator of a fixed wireless access network may also provide a facility to users that occasionally the telecommunications equipment may be mobile, that is to say, that the user telecommunications equipment or terminals may move to another location and enjoy the same facility for communicating data as that provided at the fixed site.

Mobile radio systems on the other hand, are provided with means for effecting radio communications with user terminals, whilst the user terminals move within a radio coverage area provided by the mobile radio network. Mobile radio systems are provided with a plurality of interconnected base stations, each of which is arranged to provide a facility for radio communications within a geographical area associated with the base station which is known as a cell. The user terminals which move within the radio coverage area are arranged to change affiliation between the base stations as the mobile stations enter and leave the cells of the mobile radio network. This facility is known as hand-over or hand- off. Similarly, however, it may be that a user terminal may be stationary or fixed in a particular position and for which a communications facility is required which is fulfilled by the mobile radio network.

Whilst mobile radio networks are optimised to provide a communications facility to mobile user terminals and a fixed wireless access network is optimised to provide a communications facility to fixed user terminals it will be understood from the foregoing explanation that user terminals may be mobile or stationary whilst being served by either a mobile radio or a fixed wireless access network. Furthermore, there may be a requirement for the fixed wireless access network and the mobile radio network to co-exist and provide a facility for communications to common user terminals.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a facility for data communications to user terminals via either a mobile radio network or a fixed wireless access network. This object is achieved generally by providing a means for determining whether a user terminal is substantially stationary or whether the user terminal is substantially mobile, and in dependence upon whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile allocating the terminal to either a fixed wireless access network or a mobile radio network along with certain predetermined operating parameters which match the requirements of the user terminal to the allocated network.

According to the present invention there is provided a radio communications apparatus arranged to communicate data with a plurality of user terminals, the apparatus comprising, a fixed wireless access communications network which operates to provide a facility for communicating data with the user terminals via first radio signals, and a mobile radio network which operates to provide a facility for communicating data with the user terminals via second radio signals, characterised in that the apparatus further includes means for determining whether a user terminal is substantially stationary or whether the user terminal is mobile, and means for allocating the terminal to at least one of the fixed and mobile radio networks, consequent upon whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile, whereby a capacity of the radio communications apparatus is substantially optimised.

The first radio signals via which data is communicated using the fixed wireless access network may occupy a different part of the radio frequency bandwidth to the second radio signals via which data is communicated with the mobile radio network. Furthermore the radio access technique according to which data is multiplexed from a plurality of user terminals onto the part of the radio frequency bandwidth allocated to the communications system may be different for the first radio signals and the second radio signals. In this case however user terminals may be provided with means for communicating data using either the first or the second radio signals in which case they are known as dual mode terminals. Alternatively, if for example the wireless access network operates to communicate data in accordance with code division multiple access radio signals and the mobile radio network also operates in accordance with code division multiple access, user terminals may communicate data using either the first or the second radio signals whilst using substantially the same transmitter and receiver apparatus. Therefore, by providing a means for determining whether the user terminal is substantially stationary or whether the user terminal is substantially mobile, the user terminal may be provided with a facility for communicating data using either the fixed wireless access network or the mobile radio network, or both in association with some pre-determined operating parameters so that communications with the user terminals may be optimised. As will be appreciated communicating data with user terminals can be transmitting data to, or receiving data from the terminals, or both transmitting data and receiving data from the terminals.

The means for determining whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile may be a data processor in combination with a data field set and transmitted by the user terminals using at least one of the first and the second radio signals which is interrogated by the data processor to determine whether the user terminal has declared itself to be stationary or mobile.

The fixed and the mobile radio communications networks may include a plurality base stations each of which is arranged to communicate data using the first and the second radio signals receptively, and each of the base stations may include the means for determining whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile. Advantageously, each of the base stations may include a channel impulse response estimator which operates to generate an estimate of an impulse response of the channel through which either one of the first or the second radio signals have passed. The means for determining whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile may be a data processor which operates to analyse the channel impulse response estimate and to determine whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile consequent upon a rate of change of the channel impulse response estimates. Each base station may further include a data store and the data processor may further operate to store changes in the channel impulse response estimates and determine whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile consequent upon a change of the channel impulse response estimates over a predetermined temporal window.

The means for determining whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile may be a data processor in combination with a unique user terminal number allocated to each of the user terminals. In this case, the data processor operates to determine whether the user terminal is mobile or stationary consequent upon the user terminal number pre-allocated to each user terminal, depending upon whether the user has requested a facility for mobile communications.

The means for allocating the terminals to at least one of the fixed and the mobile radio networks, may operate to allocate associated operating parameters with the communications channel allocated to the user terminals, consequent upon whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile. The associated operating parameters may include a priority level for requests for a communications channel by the user terminals, a billing tariff, a hand-off priority or a power control priority.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of communicating data with a plurality of user terminals, the method comprising the steps of, providing a facility for communicating data with the user terminals via first radio signals using a fixed wireless access communications network, and providing a facility for communicating data with the user terminals via second radio signals using a mobile radio network, characterised by the steps of determining whether a user terminal is substantially stationary or whether the user terminal is mobile, and allocating the terminal to at least one of the fixed and mobile radio networks, consequent upon whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

FIGURE 1 is a schematic block diagram of a radio communications system comprising a fixed wireless access network and a mobile radio communications network;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a first means for determining whether the user terminals are mobile or stationary;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a second means for determining whether the user terminals are mobile or stationary; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a third means for determining whether the user terminals are mobile or stationary.

There are several mobile radio communications systems known to those skilled in the art. For example the Global System for Mobiles (GSM) is a time division multiple access radio communications system which is known to be categorised as a second generation mobile radio system. Furthermore, there are a number of derivatives based on the GSM standard such as the Digital Cellular System 1800 (DCS 1800) or a further derivative of GSM which is used for communications within railway networks. Furthermore, there are a plurality of third generation mobile radio communications systems such as the Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) which utilises Wide band Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) and Time Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA) . As will be appreciated the present invention finds application with a mobile radio communications system according to anyone of these standards or any future radio access technique and is not limited thereto. However as an illustrative example of the present invention, a mobile radio communications system, operating in accordance with Time Division CDMA will be described. Similarly, there are a plurality of communications systems which are suitable for providing a fixed wireless access network. Examples of this are the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephone system (DECT) , and code division multiple access systems. Again therefore, the present invention finds application with a fixed wireless access network in accordance with anyone of these standards, or any other present or future mobile radio system. Furthermore, the fixed wireless access network and the mobile radio network may be the same standard. However, the illustrative example of the present invention will be described with reference to a fixed wireless access network which operates in accordance with a code division multiple access system.

An illustration of a radio communications system characterised in that user terminals may be served by either a fixed wireless access communications network or a mobile radio network is shown in Figure 1. In Figure 1, a first set of base stations BS1 are shown to be operatively coupled to a mobile radio network controller 1 via conductors 2. Furthermore, a fixed wireless access network is shown to be comprised of a second set of base stations BS2, which are operatively coupled to a wireless access network controller 4, via conductors 6. Six mobile stations MS, are shown to be communicating data with both the first base stations BSl and the second base stations BS2. As already explained, the mobile radio network operates in accordance with TD-CDMA so that data is communicated between the mobile stations and the first set of base stations BSl on an up or reverse link, and from the base stations BSl to the mobile stations MS on the forward or down link using radio signals modulated and multiplexed in accordance with TD-CDMA. These radio signals are illustrated by lines 8. As will be appreciated the mobile radio network formed by the base stations BSl is substantially optimised to provide facilities for mobile radio communications to the mobile stations MS which by there nature roam within a radio coverage area provided by the base stations BSl. Thus, the mobile radio network controller 1, operates to provide a facility such as power control and hand-over such that the mobile stations MS, may be re- affiliated to other base stations BSl as the mobile stations move within the radio coverage area provided by the mobile radio network. As such, most of the mobile stations MS will be communicating with the base stations BSl using the first radio signals 8. However, as shown in Figure 1, some mobile stations MS are communicating data with the second base stations BS2 of the fixed wireless access network. The fixed wireless access network is also arranged to operate in accordance with CDMA. Data is communicated between the mobile stations MS and the base stations BS2 on the up link or reverse link and between the base stations BS2 and the mobile stations MS on the down or forward link using second radio signals which may be different to the first radio signals. The difference between the first radio signals and the second radio signals may include being transmitted on a different frequency band in which case the mobile stations MS may include a dual band mode which provide them with a facility for communicating data with either the first or the second base stations or both. Also shown in Figure 1, are four buildings which are representative of user terminals embodied within or associated with the buildings 10 and are provided as an illustrative example of a fixed user terminal, that is a user terminal which does not move or roam throughout the radio coverage area provided by the fixed wireless access network. As it is illustrated in Figure 1, the buildings 10, are provided with a facility for data communications via the second radio signals represented as lines 12, which are transmitted between the buildings 10 and the base stations BS2. The fixed wireless access network is substantially optimised to provide a facility for communications to the fixed user terminals embodied within the buildings 10.

Although the fixed wireless access network has been primarily optimised to provide a communications facility to fixed user terminals, there is also a requirement to provide these user terminals with a facility for moving within the coverage area provided by the fixed wireless access network, and to this end the fixed wireless access network is provided with a facility to allow user terminals to move and to receive and transmit data from other locations and through other base stations BS2. Similarly, as illustrated in Figure 1, the mobile stations MS are representative of user terminals which may enjoy a better facility for communicating data via the second base stations BS2 of the fixed wireless access network and in particular where the mobile stations are temporarily or permanently cited at a fixed location. Likewise, congestion in the fixed wireless access network, in a case where a greater number of requests for communications channels have been made than can be provided, the fixed user terminals 10, may require a facility for communicating data through the mobile radio network formed by the first set of base stations BSl. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 1, a fixed user terminal may require a facility for communicating data through both the first set of base stations BSl of the mobile radio network and the second set of base stations BS2 of the fixed wireless access network. CDMA provides such a facility in that data may be contemporaneously communicated within the same bandwidth and the same time using different spreading codes. Thus in a case where the first and second radio signals are within the same frequency band, the data may be communicated contemporaneously without a requirement for duplex filtering. Alternatively, with appropriate duplex filtering in a case where the fixed wireless access network and mobile radio network operate on different frequencies, data may also be contemporaneously communicated on different frequency bands.

As already mentioned, both the mobile radio network and the fixed wireless access network may from time to time experience problems of congestion associated with a greater demand for radio communications channels than either of these networks can provide. A facility for hand-off between base stations of the mobile radio network is clearly only required in a case where the mobile stations MS are moving through the mobile radio network, and is not required in a case where the user terminals are fixed. Therefore, providing a facility by which either the fixed wireless access network or the mobile radio network can determine whether the user terminals, be they the mobile stations MS or the fixed premises stations 10, are mobile or stationary is considerably advantageous in that both the fixed wireless access network and the mobile radio network can be optimised to the effect of making a most efficient use of the communications resources available. Furthermore, since fixed or stationary user terminals do not require a facility for hand-off and may operate with a simple power control function which may be considerably slower and less sophisticated than that required for mobile stations, these facilities can be allocated or associated with a user terminal once it has been identified whether that user terminal is stationary or mobile. Correspondingly, therefore since the stationary user terminals do not require these more advanced facilities, a billing tariff associated with the use of communications channels provided by either the fixed or the mobile radio networks can be correspondingly adjusted. Furthermore, the mobile radio network is optimised to provide a communications facility to mobile user terminals. A bridging unit 14 is coupled to the mobile radio network controller 1 and to the fixed wireless access network controller 4 via conductors 16 and 18. The bridging unit 14 operates to allocate the user terminals to either the fixed wireless access network or the mobile radio network consequent upon whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile, and whether there is a capacity to accommodate the user terminal. This is because the fixed wireless access network is optimised to provide a communications facility for fixed, stationary user terminals,

One example of a means for determining whether the user terminals are mobile or stationary is illustrated in Figure 2 where parts also appearing in Figure 1 bear identical numerical designations. In Figure 2, a building 10, corresponding to a fixed user terminal of Figure 1 is shown to be communicating data using radio signals to a base station 20. Correspondingly, a mobile station MS is shown to be communicating data to the same base station 20, using further radio signals represented by lines 8, 12. The base station 20, could be a base station from either of the first set or the second set BSl, BS2, corresponding to the fixed or the mobile radio networks. The radio signals transmitted by the fixed user terminal 10 are also indicated by the line 8, 12 to represent correspondingly either the first or the second radio signals, or indeed as already explained they could be both the first and the second radio signals. The data transmitted by the radio signals from the mobile station MS to the base station 20 could be either the first or the second radio signals and so the lines representative of the signals are also designated 8, 12, to correspond with the radio signals illustrated in Figure 1.

As represented in Figure 2 the mobile station MS and the fixed user terminal 10 make a first access to request a radio communications channel by transmitting a burst of data 22 to the base station 20 using the first or the second radio signals 8, 12. The burst of data 22 which is first transmitted by the mobile station MS or the fixed user terminal 10 is generally known as a random access communications signal and is indicative of a request for a dedicated communications channel to be allocated to the mobile station MS or the fixed user terminal 10 in order to effect two-way data communications. However as part of the random access data 22, a field 24, is provided which is used to indicate whether the mobile station MS or the fixed user terminal will be stationary or mobile. By setting the data field 24 to an appropriate value, the radio signals when detected by the base station antenna 26 and fed to a receiver 28, are then interrogated by a data processor 30 in order to determine the value of the data field 24 and therefore whether the user terminal is a stationary terminal or a mobile terminal. This information is thereafter communicated to either the mobile radio network controller 1 or the wireless access network controller 4 and also to the bridging unit 14 so that the user terminal may be allocated to either of the networks under conditions appropriate to the user terminal as already described.

A further example of a means for determining whether the user terminals are mobile or stationary is illustrated in Figure 3 where parts also appearing in Figures 1 and 2 bear identical numerical designations. In Figure 3 the base station 32 which may be either of the base stations BSl or BS2 shown in Figure 1, is provided with a receiver 28 and a data processor 30 which correspond to the receiver and data processor as shown in Figure 2. The elements appearing in Figure 3 are substantially the same as those which appear in Figure 2 and so only the differences between Figure 3 and 2 will be described for brevity. The first and second radio signals 8, 12, are shown to convey a segment of data 34, which is communicated to the base station 32, as part of data communicated via a logical communications channel. The segment of data 34 is shown in Figure 3 to include a predetermined portion of data 36 which is known to the receiver 28 of the base station 32. As is familiar to those skilled in the art radio communications systems such as GSM and TD-CDMA as well as W-CDMA are provided with a means for transmitting predetermined signals with data to be communicated. This provides a means for determining an impulse response of the communications channel through which the data passes between the transmitter at the user terminal and the base station. In the case of W-CDMA for example this is a pilot channel or pilot symbols, whereas in the case of TD-CDMA this is a predetermined sequence known as a training sequence. By cross-correlating this predetermined sequence of data with a locally generated replica, within the receiver 28 of the base station 32, an estimate of the impulse response of the communications channel is provided and is illustrated in Figure 3 by a line 38. An indication of whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile, is provided in a rate of change of the channel impulse response which is indicative of a Doppler shift or Doppler frequency imparted to the radio signals as the user terminal moves with respect to the receiver in the base station 32. The data processor 30 in the base station 32 therefore operates to compare subsequent estimates of the impulse response of the channel 38, with earlier estimates from which a change or rate of change of the channel impulse response is indicative of movement of the user terminal. However a mobile station may be temporarily stationary as a result of the user of the mobile station temporarily stopping at a predetermined location for a number of reasons, such as if the mobile station is embodied within a car and the car stops at traffic lights or the mobile station is a mobile phone and the user is temporarily seated or standing still whilst making a call. As such and in order to not erroneously determine that this user terminal is stationary, the channel impulse response estimates generated over a predetermined period may be stored within a data store 40, which is coupled to the data processor 30. The data processor therefore operates to analyse the channel impulse responses over a predetermined temporal window and where the impulse response of the channel has not substantially changed within the predetermined temporal window then the data processor determines that the user terminal is indeed stationary and generates signals accordingly which are communicated to the mobile radio network controller or the fixed wireless access network controller 1, 4, as already explained.

A yet further example of a means for determining whether the user terminal is mobile or stationary is illustrated in Figure 4 where parts also appearing in Figures 1, 2 and 3 bear identical numerical designations. As with Figure 3,

Figure 4 corresponds generally to those parts also shown in Figure 2 and so only the differences between Figures 4 and 2 will be described for brevity. In Figure 4, the first and second radio signals 8, 12, transmitted from the mobile station MS and the fixed user terminal 10 are now illustrated as representing an initial access data sequence 42, sent by the user terminals when making a first access to the mobile radio network or fixed wireless access network as part of a call set-up process. The data segment 42 is shown to include a data field 44 which is representative of a user terminal number allocated uniquely to each of the user terminals served by either the mobile radio network or the fixed wireless access network. The user terminal number 44 is recovered by the receiver 28 of the base station 45 and then fed to the data processor 30. The data processor 30 then compares the unique user terminal number with a set of unique user terminal numbers which are shown in Figure 4 to be stored within a data store 46 forming part of the base station 20. However equally the data store containing the user terminal numbers may be embodied elsewhere in either the fixed wireless access network or the mobile radio network, or indeed within the bridging unit 14. Since the user terminal numbers are allocated by the operator of the fixed wireless access network or mobile radio network the numbers may be allocated in a predetermined order or associated with a predetermined set of operating characteristics such that the number itself is indicative of whether the user terminal will operate as a mobile user terminal or a fixed stationary user terminal. Thus the data processor 30 is able to determine whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile and operate as already explained with reference to Figure 2. Equally, as will be appreciated, the data processor 30 of Figure 4 could be cited anywhere else within the fixed wireless access or mobile radio networks. In particular, the data processor could be cited within the mobile radio network controller 1 or the fixed wireless access controller 4.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art various modifications may be made to the embodiments of the invention herein before described without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the fixed wireless access network may be a second mobile radio network modified specifically to provide a wireless link from a business or domestic premises to a local loop exchange. Furthermore, other means for determining whether the user terminal is mobile or stationary are envisaged other than the three examples presented, to which the invention is in no way limited. As will be appreciated the invention is not limited to any particular multiple access technique or mobile radio or fixed wireless access network standard.

Claims

1. A radio communications apparatus arranged to communicate data with a plurality of user terminals (MS, 10) , said apparatus comprising, a fixed wireless access communications network which operates to provide a facility for communicating data with said user terminals (MS, 10) via first radio signals (12) , and - a mobile radio network which operates to provide a facility for communicating data with said user terminals (MS,

10) via second radio signals (8), characterised in that said apparatus further includes

- means for determining whether a user terminal is substantially stationary or whether the user terminal is substantially mobile, and means for allocating said terminal to at least one of said fixed and mobile radio networks, consequent upon whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile, whereby a capacity of said radio communications apparatus is substantially optimised.

2. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said means for determining whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile is a data processor (30) in combination with a data field (24) set and transmitted by said user terminals using at least one of said first and second radio signals (8, 12), said data processor operating to interrogate said data field (24) and determine from the data field set by the user terminal whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile.

3. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said fixed and said mobile radio communications networks includes a plurality of base stations (BSl, BS2) which are arranged to communicate using said first and second radio signals respectively (8, 12), and each of said base stations (BSl, BS2) includes said means for determining whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile .

4. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, and further including within a plurality of said base stations (BSl, BS2) a channel impulse response estimator (28) which operates to generate estimates of an impulse response of the channels through which the first and the second radio signals (8, 12) have passed, wherein said means for determining whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile are data processors (30) which operate to analyse said channel impulse response and to determine whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile consequent upon a rate of change of said channel impulse response estimates.

5. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, and further including within said plurality of base stations (BSl, BS2) a data store (40) , wherein said data processor (30) further operates to store changes in said channel impulse response estimates and to determine whether said user terminals (10, MS) are stationary or mobile consequent upon a change of said channel impulse response estimates over a predetermined temporal window.

6. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said means for determining whether the user terminals are stationary or mobile is a data processor (30) in combination with a unique user terminal number (44) allocated to each of said user terminals, and said data processor (30) operates to determine whether each of said user terminals (MS, 10) is mobile or stationary consequent upon the user terminal number allocated to said user terminals.

7. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the means for allocating said terminals to at least one of said fixed and mobile radio networks, operates to allocate associated operating parameters consequent upon whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile.

8. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the associated operating parameters include a priority level for requests for a channel by the user terminal, a billing tariff, a hand-off priority or a power control process.

9. A radio communications apparatus as claimed in any preceding claims, and further including a network controller

(1, 4, 14) which operates to allocate said user terminals to at least one of said fixed wireless access network and said mobile radio network in dependence upon whether said user terminal is mobile or stationary.

10. A method of communicating data with a plurality of user terminals, said method comprising the steps of; - providing a facility for communicating data with said user terminals via first radio signals using a fixed wireless access communications network, and providing a facility for communicating data with said user terminals via second radio signals using a mobile radio network, characterised by the steps of;

- determining whether a user terminal is substantially stationary or whether the user terminal is substantially mobile, and allocating said terminal to at least one of said fixed and mobile radio networks, consequent upon whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile.

11. A method as claimed in Claims 10, wherein the step of determining whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile includes the steps of;

- setting a data field to indicate whether the user terminals are substantially mobile or stationary; - transmitting from the user terminals the data field using at least one of said first and said second radio signals;

- interrogating within at least one of said fixed wireless access communications network and said mobile radio network said data field to determine therefrom whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile.

12. A method as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the step of determining whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile includes the steps of;

- calculating for the user terminal a channel impulse response estimate; and

- analysing said channel impulse response to determine whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile consequent upon a rate of change of said channel impulse response estimate.

13. A method as claimed in Claim 12, and further including the steps of; - storing changes in said channel impulse response estimate; and determining whether said user terminal is stationary or mobile consequent upon a change of said channel impulse response over a pre-determined temporal window.

14. A method as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the step of determining whether the user terminal is stationary or mobile includes the steps of;

- assigning a unique user terminal number to each of said user terminals, wherein the assigned unique terminal number is indicative of whether the user terminal is a stationary user or a mobile user;

- communicating said unique terminal number from said user terminal to at least one of said fixed wireless access network and said mobile radio network; and determining from said user terminal number whether said user terminal is mobile or stationary.

15. A method as claimed in any of Claims 10 to 14, wherein the step of allocating the terminals to at least one of said fixed and mobile radio networks, includes the step of; - associating pre-determined operating parameters with the communications channel set-up with the user terminal.

16. A method as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the associated operating parameters include at least one of a priority level for requests for a channel by the user terminal, a billing tariff, a hand-off priority and a power control priority.

17. A method as claimed in any of Claims 10 to 16, and further including the step of; - allocating said user terminals to at least one of said fixed wireless access and said mobile radio networks in dependence upon whether said user terminals are stationary or mobile.

18. A radio communications apparatus as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.