The present invention provides a communication controller and a method for maintaining a communication connection during a cell reselection. The communication connection is maintained by changing between a first operating mode, such as a packet data mode, which does not support the maintenance of a communication connection throughout a cell reselection, and a second operating mode, such as a circuit switched mode, which does support maintenance of a communication connection during a handover. Use of a virtual mobile switching center in the base station subsystem facilitates the conversion and routing of circuit switched data, transmitted between the mobile subscriber and the base transceiver station, to the packet data network while in a circuit switched mode.