CONTROLLING DATA COMMUNICATION ACCORDING TO A TYPE OF THE DATA

1 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . A mobile communications network for communicating data to mobile communications devices, the mobile communications network comprising:

a core network part including a plurality of infrastructure equipment; and

a radio network part including a plurality of base stations which are provided with a wireless access interface for communicating data to the mobile communications devices, wherein the mobile communications network is arranged in operation to provide a communications bearer between one of the mobile communications devices and one or more of the infrastructure equipment via one or more of the base stations for communicating data packets for a communications session to the mobile communications device via the communications bearer, and at least one of the mobile communications device, the base station or the infrastructure equipment is provided with an indication of a type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer, and arranged in operation to control the communication of the data packets via the communications bearer in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer with respect to data packets communicated via other communications bearers.

22 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein the indication of the type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer, which is associated with the communications bearer, includes an indication that the data packets are for a machine type communication.

23 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein the indication of the type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer, which is associated with the communications bearer, includes an indication of a relative priority of the data packets with respect to the communication of data packets via other communications bearers of the mobile communications network.

24 . The mobile communications network of claim 23 , wherein the relative priority includes one or more of an Allocated Retention Priority value and/or a Low Priority indicator.

25 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein the control of the communication of the data packets via the communications bearer in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets includes:

storing the data packets in a buffer for communication of the data packets via the communications bearer at a later time in preference to communicating data packets from other communications bearers at an earlier time with a higher priority.

26 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein the control of the communication of the data packets includes discarding the data packets from the buffer in preference to communicating data packets from other communications bearers.

27 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein the control of the communication of the data packets via the communications bearer in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets is in response to an indication of congestion of data packets being communicated by the mobile communications network.

28 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein the control of the communication of the data packets via the communications bearer in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets, includes:

receiving an indication that one or more of the mobile communications device, the base station or the infrastructure equipment is congested; and

in response to the indication of congestion, storing the data packets being communicated via the communications bearer until the congestion has reduced.

29 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein the control of the communication of the data packets via the communications bearer in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets, includes:

storing the data packets being communicated via the communications bearer; and

depending on an indication of a relative congestion of the mobile communications network, communicating the data packets via the communications bearer from the buffer.

30 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein the control of the communication of the data packets via the communications bearer in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets, includes:

receiving an indication that one or more of the mobile communications device, the base station or the infrastructure equipment is congested; and

in response to the indication of congestion, discarding the data packets.

31 . The mobile communications network of claim 21 , wherein at least one of the mobile communications device, the base station or the infrastructure equipment are arranged to receive the indication of the type of the data packets from the mobile communications device or from a home subscriber server of the mobile communications network.

32 . A mobile communications network for communicating data to mobile communications devices, the mobile communications network comprising:

a plurality of base stations which are provided with a wireless access interface for communicating data to the mobile communications devices, wherein the mobile communications network is arranged in operation to establish a communications bearer between one of the mobile communications devices and one or more infrastructure equipment via one or more base stations for communicating data packets for a communications session to the mobile communications device via the communications bearer, and at least one of the mobile communications device, the base station or the infrastructure equipment is provided with an indication of a type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer which is associated with the communications bearer, and arranged in operation to store the data packets in a buffer which are for communication via the communications bearer from the mobile communications device in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer with respect to data packets communicated via other communications bearers.

33 . The mobile communications network of claim 32 , wherein the type of the data packets communicated is one or more of the machine type communications indicator, a low priority indicator, a regular user indicator or a high priority indicator and wherein the control of the communication of the data packets is in accordance with the following order of priority:

low priority data coming from MTC devices,

low priority data,

regular users and/or MTC users, and

high priority users.

34 . A method of communicating data packets from a mobile communications network to mobile communications devices, the communications network comprising a core network part including a plurality of infrastructure equipment, and a radio network part including a plurality of base stations which are provided with a wireless access interface for communicating data to the mobile communications devices, the method comprising:

providing a communications bearer between one of the mobile communications devices and one or more of the infrastructure equipment via one or more of the base stations for communicating data packets for a communications session to the mobile communications device via the communications bearer;

providing at least one of the mobile communications device, the base station or the infrastructure equipment with an indication of a type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer which is associated with the communications bearer; and

controlling the communication of the data packets via the communications bearer in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer with respect to data packets communicated via other communications bearers.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the indication of the type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer, which is associated with the communications bearer, includes an indication that the data packets are for a machine type communication.

36 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the indication of the type of the data packets communicated via the communications bearer, which is associated with the communications bearer, includes an indication of a relative priority of the data packets with respect to the communication of data packets via other communications bearers of the mobile communications network.

37 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the relative priority includes one or more of an Allocated Retention Priority value and/or a Low Priority indicator.

38 . The method of claims 34 , wherein the controlling the communication of the data packets via the communications bearer in accordance with a relative priority indicated by the type of the data packets includes:

storing the data packets in a buffer for communication of the data packets via the communications bearer at a later time in preference to communicating data packets from other communications bearers at an earlier time with a higher priority.