US Patent 7962123 Authentication of access terminals in a cellular communication network

In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for authentication of an access terminal generally includes a radio access network having a packet control function. The packet control function is operable to receive an extended authentication protocol (EAP) message from the access terminal, encapsulate the extended authentication protocol message in a radio-packet (RP) network message, and transmit the radio-packet network message to an IP gateway.