A method for rapid application switching at a mobile station includes authenticating, in response to selection of a first application, a first network access identifier (NAI) assigned to the first application using an authentication server, registering the first NAI using a home agent, and requesting application switching by selecting a second application for execution. The method further includes deregistering, upon detection of the application switching request, the first NAI using the home agent without deactivation of protocol programs below an application layer for a period of time after deregistration, authenticating a second NAI assigned to the second application using the authentication server; and registering the second NAI using the home agent.