Disclosed is a method and system for managing signaling in wireless communication network. Base stations in the network will be divided into groups, but each base station's coverage area will be deemed a separate respective tracking area, and, for each group of base stations, an intermediary will manage transmission of registration and paging signaling between a paging controller and the group of base stations. In practice, when a tracking-area update (TAU) arrives from a WCD in coverage of the group of base stations, the intermediary may forward the TAU to the paging controller only if the TAU represents the WCD's movement into coverage of the group of base stations. Further, when a paging message arrives for a WCD, the intermediary may forward the paging message to the appropriate base station in the group.