A method and apparatus for requesting PPP instances from a packet data
services network includes a mobile station configured to send an
origination message to a packet data service node (PDSN) at which it has
arrived upon leaving the vicinity of another PDSN. The message informs
the new PDSN of the new location of the mobile station and indicates both
the number of dormant PPP instances associated with the mobile station
and a service reference identifier for each such PPP instance. A flag
within the message may be used to indicate whether the PPP instances are
dormant (i.e., whether the mobile station is engaged in a call).
Communications channel resources of packet data services nodes are
optimized by reducing the information included in messages from the
Packet Control Function network element to the Packet Data Service Node
network element, and by reducing the use of Mobile Internet Protocol
agent advertisement.