A wireless communication system may include an SGW operably coupled to a PGW to setup a session responsive to a request from a terminal to establish the session between the terminal and the PGW. The system further includes an MME configured to authenticate the terminal and provide bearer management in response to the request. The MME is configured to provide bearer information to the SGW. The system also includes base stations operably coupled to the SGW via a data plane connection and operably coupled to the MME via a control plane connection. The base stations are configured to handover connection to the terminal between the base stations in response to movement of the terminal between coverage areas of the base stations. The MME is configured to assign a deferred bearer in response to a determination that suitability criteria for establishing an active bearer are not met, the deferred bearer reserving a future data bearer and signaling the terminal to store data locally until the future data bearer is established.