In a method for operation of a device in a radio access network of a radio communication system, the device is arranged between a first network element and a second network element of a radio access network, receives at a first point in time from the first network element a first heartbeat and sends to the first network element at a second point in time a first acknowledgement signal as a response to the first heartbeat, with the first acknowledgement signal signaling to the first network element that a connection exists between the first network element and the second network element. At a third point in time the device sends a second heartbeat to the second network element, with the second network element, on receiving the second heartbeat sending as a response a second acknowledgement signal to the device in order to signal to the device the existence of a connection between the device and the second network element. The first acknowledgement signal is at least partly sent even if no second acknowledgement signal has been received between the first point in time and the second point in time.