Method and device for processing data in a communication network

1. A method of processing data in a communication network, the method comprising:

serving a first node by a second node and communicating between the first node and a third node wherein the third node is a terminal;

wherein the second node, the first node and a fourth node are connected via a passive optical network capable of a point-to-multipoint connection, wherein the point-to-multipoint connection utilizes resources selected from the group consisting of:

timeslots,

frequencies, and

codes;

establishing said point-to-multipoint connection from the second node to the first node and to the fourth node;

sending data carried by one of said resources destined for the first node from the second node to the first node and to the fourth node via the point-to-multipoint connection,

sending a communication to the fourth node from the first node to listen to and process the data carried by one of said resources destined for the first node; and

with the fourth node, discarding the data carried by one of said resources destined for the first node by the fourth node, before the communication is received by the fourth node, and processing the data carried by one of said resources destined for the first node, when the communication is received by the fourth node.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sending the communication comprises informing the fourth node by the first node to process data destined for the third node via the second node.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sending the communication comprises informing the fourth node by the first node to process data destined for the third node via a management node.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second node comprises a gateway connected to a further network.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the gateway is configured to provide services selected from the group consisting of:

authorization services;

authentication services;

rating services; and

traffic shaping services.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first node and the fourth node are edge nodes of the communication network.

7. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises at least temporarily connecting the third node to the first node and/or to the fourth node via an air interface.

8. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises handing over the third node from the first node to the fourth node.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sending the communication comprises utilizing a resource of the network that is used for the communication between the second node and the first node.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first node, the second node and/or the fourth node each comprises an underlying transport entity that provides the service of the network and wherein the sending the communication comprises, with the first node, informing the transport entity of the fourth node to process data destined for the third node.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising forwarding packets in the data destined for the first node to the third node.

12. A device for processing data in a communication network:

comprising:

means for being served by a second node;

means for serving a third node wherein the third node is a terminal, wherein the second node, the device, and a fourth node are connected via a passive optical network establishing a point-to-multipoint connection, wherein the point-to-multipoint connection utilizes resources selected from the group consisting of:

timeslots,

frequencies, and

codes, and

wherein the second node sends data carried by one of said resources destined for the device from the second node to the device and to the fourth node, wherein the data is initially discarded by the fourth node; and

means for sending a communication to the fourth node from the device to listen to and process the data carried by one of said resources destined for the device, when a necessity for handover is detected.

13. The device according to claim 12 , configured as an edge node of the communication network.

14. The device according to claim 13 , configured as base station.