1. A method for Internet Protocol communication between a mobile terminal and a node in a mobile radio network, the method comprising: establishing an Internet Protocol connection between the mobile terminal and node; sending keep-alive messages via the Internet Protocol connection at predetermined and variable intervals, the keep-alive messages sent in response to detecting a period of inactivity in the Internet Protocol connection, the keep-alive messages sent from the mobile terminal; monitoring the lengths of several periods of inactivity at which the mobile radio network disconnects the Internet Protocol connection; determining a maximum interval between keep-alive messages based on the several monitored lengths of periods of inactivity such that the maximum interval meets a predetermined criterion of statistical confidence; and setting the interval between keep-alive messages to the maximum determined interval.