According to the present invention there is provided a
telecommunications system for providing a facility for communicating internet packet data in accordance with a first
internet protocol (IPV6). The
system comprises a
user equipment, the
user equipment including a first
internet protocol stack operable in accordance with a first
internet protocol (IPV6) and a second internet
protocol stack operable in accordance with a second internet protocol (IPV4). The
system includes a
packet radio system (GPRS) network operable to communicate internet packet data in accordance with the second internet protocol (IPV4), and an inter-working. The inter-working unit is operable in association with the
user equipment to represent internet packet data according to the first internet protocol (IPV6) as internet packet data according to the second internet protocol (IPV4) for communication via the
packet radio system network (GPRS). The inter-working-unit is operable to represent internet packet data received from the
packet radio system network (GPRS) in the form of internet packet data according to the second internet protocol (IPV4) as internet packet data according to the first internet protocol (IPV6) for communication to the user equipment. The inter-working unit acquires from the second internet
protocol stack an address for representing
the internet packet data according to the first internet protocol as internet packet data according to the second internet protocol. The inter-working unit also acquires from the first internet
protocol stack an address for representing
the internet packet data according to the second internet protocol as internet packet data according to the first internet protocol. A corresponding inter-working unit is provided for reciprocal communication of internet packet data to and from the packet
radio system network (GPRS). Embodiments of the present invention can provide a facility for a user equipment to run application programs which require the use of internet protocol communications according to one internet protocol using a packet
radio system network which has been arranged to communicate internet packet data according to a different internet protocol.