A method of operation of a mobile network (1) comprising network core central nodes including a switching node and at least one remote node (4, 5) linked with the central nodes via a remote backhaul communication link (3). The method performs local connection of data or voice sessions. A remote node (4, 5) extracts, from signals, information concerning said devices to populate a database, and accesses said database when deciding whether to connect the call locally. The information includes device capability information including codec capabilities of the originating and terminating devices (MS-A, B, C). A remote node alters signalling information concerning codec capabilities of at least one of the devices (MS-A, B, C) to force use of the same codecs during the session. In one example, the information is extracted from a Bearer Capability field in a Call Confirmed message sent back from the terminating device and stored in the database for use in subsequent decisions concerning local connections of sessions. The invention allows legal intercept operations and is adaptive to handover conditions.